Off a Door Step
by SkyLight184
Summary: When Hermione finds an unexpected visitor with a daunting task on the front step in the middle of the night, she accepts without thinking it thoroughly through. With her hands full, and no experience on her side, she must deal with the consequences of her actions and learn, hands on, how to raise a child. Mostly Next Gen centered. HGxTN, GWxHP.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello my lovelies. I was randomly attacked by this idea last weekend when I was driving through a couple of states on my way home from visiting friends, and thus it made it onto my computer and has evolved into this little beastly thing. Should be fairly short. I am still working on The After so I haven't abandoned that, it's just slow in the making. Please let me know what you think so far of this one, and I'll have to deal with concurrent fics on my own. Thanks for your time!**

**Disclaimer: Any character you recognize is not mine and was created by J.K. Rowling. There will be a few OCs later on.**

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><p>She was not entirely sure how she wound up in this particular predicament. The weight in her arms was a constant reminder that it was not some twisted dream, that someone really had come to her doorstep in the middle of the night, begging and pleading on her good faith, and she had accepted this daunting task without so much as a second thought. Maybe it had been the sleep. Maybe it had been the way tears were splashing down onto her front stoop. Maybe it had been the soft grunts and sighs coming from between the adults.<p>

Maybe, just maybe, it had been her infamous mile wide streak of pity, good intentions, and inability to say no.

Maybe it had been the way he begged her, hair damp from the rain and skin pulled tight over way too prominent cheekbones, with tears balancing precariously on eyelashes the color of moonlight.

"Please take him." He was choking, and it took her a moment or two to realize that it wasn't just from the cold. "Please take him. Don't let him know about me, or his family, please don't. Please help me. Please help him, please Granger, please."

"A-alright." She had taken the crudely bundled infant from the now sobbing man. "But Dra-"

"Never tell him about me. He can never know." Draco Malfoy held her shoulders in a surprisingly strong grip, bony fingers digging into her skin with a sudden passion she never knew he possessed. He cast a softened glance down at the babe in her grasp. "He must never know. He cannot be like me…like my father…please."

"But I-"

"His name is Scorpius. Change it if you want to, if it's best for him, I can't…" He broke off in horrible choking sobs and backed away from her, silver eyes breaking into her soul as he stumbled from her door and into the night, disappearing with a faint pop.

His skeletal face and deathly pale skin had only meant one thing.

Draco Malfoy was soon to die.

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><p>He could barely breathe. His head had been spinning for the last few days, it seemed, and his tongue raked desperately through his mouth for some sort of moisture, some relief, but none was to be had. The crying from his arms reminded him of the task he had set out on, the mission he had to complete. Getting out of the Manor had been no small feat, and getting into London itself was like trying to be invisible with only a wish and an imagination. The wailing infant wasn't much help either, even when he ducked into the tightest of alleyways to try and hide himself.<p>

Somehow, by some miracle or divine intervention he wasn't really sure, he had made it into the heart of the city and passed through the barriers into Muggle London. He tripped down unfamiliar roads, crossed over strange yards and stumbled through his task with only one thing, one address on his mind.

The last known address of Hermione Granger, the house where her parents had once lived, on a quiet unassuming street in the middle of goodness knows where.

Draco supposed it was dumb luck that he happened upon the domicile at long last, and he could have shouted for joy at finding it. Instead he sat on the curb opposite her dwelling, watching her silhouette through the drawn curtains as it was backlit onto the neatly trimmed lawn.

A soft gurgle interrupted his meandering brain and he turned his attention to the baby as raindrops began to splatter around them.

"She'll be good for you." He voice was wavering just the slightest bit. "She can give you what I never can. She can teach you how to be good. She can….She can do everything I can't."

He stood, quivering from cold and utter despair, and began to cross the blacktop that would lead to her front door.

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><p>Hermione Granger sat, numb, at her kitchen table, a squirming infant in her arms and her brain for once unable to process the enormity of what had just happened. Her mouth was still hanging slightly open and her hands were frozen around the fragile bundle, clutching it to her chest as her heart began to race.<p>

She was just barely twenty one.

She was devastatingly single.

She was alone, and had no prior babysitting experience.

Hang babysitting, she had just agreed to raise a child.

A child not of her own making, either.

Her enemy's son.

Draco Malfoy's own blood, his heir, was cradled in her arms, her Mudblood arms, and she could not for the life of her figure out why in the hell she had shotgun accepted his cries for help.

"Shite." The curse word fell from her lips before she could stop it and she groaned, leaning her head back over the back of the chair as she tried to calm herself. Hermione bit her lip and thought, her left leg bouncing as she tried to put together a coherent mindset.

At long last she rose, pacing in front of the fireplace she had repurposed to receive Floo calls. A pinch of green powder was held tightly between the thumb and forefinger of her right hand. She hesitated and then finally threw it into the grate, sticking her head through.

"Potter House!" She called firmly. A few moments later she was granted with a view of the neatly arranged kitchen that Ginny had decorated herself. "Gin!" Footsteps echoed throughout the fireplace and finally a redheaded woman appeared.

"Hermione! Gracious you gave me a scare! Thought you were Mum for a moment." Ginny Potter stopped suddenly, taking in Hermione's face. "Are you alright? You look ill!"

"Can you spare a bit to pop over? I need to speak with you."

"Yeah, right, sure. I'll just tell Harry to put the boys down." Ginny scrambled out of the kitchen and Hermione pulled her head back into her own home, running the first three fingers of her right hand over the baby's tiny forehead. He was warm to the touch, but not overly so, and his skin felt like nothing she had ever felt before.

The fireplace roared to life and Ginny stepped out, brushing the soot from her shoulders as she began speaking.

"Normally I'd think nothing of someone Flooing me at half past eleven but seeing as it was you, I of course thought…" Ginny finally looked up to see her brunette friend standing in the little dining room, tears burdening her lower eyelids as she gingerly bounced what Ginny knew to be a baby. "Hermione…"

"Ginny, please, I…I don't…" Hermione nearly collapsed into the nearby chair, staring down at the angelic face in her arms.

"Hermione." Ginny rushed to her side, her coat discarded on the floor as she dropped to her knees beside the dark haired girl. "Where on earth did you find him?"

"He came to me." Hermione sniffled, allowing a few tears to leak out of her eyes. Ginny let a hand drift almost dreamily over the baby's forehead, brushing back some of the linen he was wrapped in to reveal a tuft of shockingly light hair. Ginny was back on her feet in an instant.

"Is that…." Ginny started, her hands covering her mouth. "How? How did…Why, better yet? Why in Godric's holy name did you…Oh my god. He was here. He came to your house. Oh sweet Merlin Hermione! He could have killed you and you….You took his child! You…You took his child. You took his child!"

"Ginny please." Hermione was close to a full break down by this point, Ginny's obvious mantra smashing through her resolve. The other woman pressed a hand hard to her lips, her head shaking back and forth wildly. "Ginny what do I do? What do I do?" It was Hermione's turn to repeat the same thing ceaselessly until finally Ginny closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her hands finding her hips with resolution.

"What we have to."

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><p><strong>AN: Please leave me a review and tell me what you think. I haven't seen anything like this written before, but if someone knows of a story that is too similar then please inform me so I can take appropriate action.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Many thanks to Fredasally, HeroInTheWings731, and Angel Girl5 and the rest for the reviews and follows! Also, I have a few points to make about the last chapter since HeroInTheWings731 caught a few mistakes I left behind in my haste to get this story up.  
>- According to the timeline I have established in the story, Hermione is 21, Harry is 20, and Ginny is 19. As mentioned in the first chapter, yes, Ginny and Harry are married and have two sons already. Clearly, this does not match up with the timeline established by JKR in her series...so in this story, I will say that I have taken some liberties for the sake of my plot and adjusted some events, mainly birthdays and the like for Next Gen.<br>- Another oversight was that in the first chapter I said Hermione had no babysitting experience. Obviously, since she is friends with Harry and Ginny, she's been round the house to look after the little ones before. Again, my mistake. I do my own editing and I don't catch everything. So a mighty thanks to HeroInTheWings731!  
>-To answer a question left in a Guest review: Draco's backstory will be explained in full shortly! Sorry for the vagueness, but it is a pretty large plot point...and I don't want to spoil anything!<br>Sorry for the monstrous AN but I needed to clear some things up before I continued on!

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><p>"Oh good heavens that smells divine." Hermione groaned as she popped into the Potter kitchen, the tow headed baby perched on her hip and a small bag in her hand. Ginny smiled at her from the stove top, executing the same stance as Hermione with her own toddler Albus. "And look at you, you little cute thing!" Hermione rubbed her nose against Albus' tiny one, bouncing slightly as she readjusted her own child.<p>

"How was this week?" Ginny asked. It was her new favorite question and kept Hermione on balance. It was easier for the brunette to take things week by week and Ginny had promptly set up a weekly dinner for the Potter family and Hermione.

"This was a good week." Hermione said as she looked at the blond toddler. "He decided that he wanted to be a good boy and participate."

"See, I knew my little Scor wasn't going to be difficult." Ginny cooed at the boy, who blew an especially drool filled raspberry of giggles into her face. "That's right! My darling little stinger, yes you are!"

"Is Hermione here?" Harry called from a distant room.

"Yes I am!" Hermione hollered back, picking a spare piece of pasta from the infamous Weasley pasta salad Ginny had thrown together. "I'm seriously going to need this recipe at some point or other."

"I have spare copies of it in one of these drawers somewhere." Ginny easily moved Albus to her other hip and began rummaging through drawers as Harry entered the kitchen. "Finally! Here, husband, make yourself useful." She passed Albus over.

"Yes wife." Harry rolled his eyes but took his second son without complaint, greeting Hermione with a peck on the cheek. "How's the ferret?"

"He isn't a ferret." Hermione glared at Harry and kissed Scorpius' forehead for good measure.

"God this is like looking into a time machine, still. Imagine, his parents had to look at that for years." Harry bent down slightly to look at Scorpius' face square on. An eyebrow lifted in amusement. "No wonder the git grew up rotten as bad eggs."

"Harry!" It was Ginny's turn to scold the man and she did so with an accompanying swat to his backside. He grinned and took a step back, earning himself another quick pop.

"She knows how I like it." Hermione laughed at Harry's playful actions and sat at the table, placing Scorpius directly in the center of her lap. Ginny somehow held down the trademark Weasley blush but quietly reprimanded her husband, who took on a solemn expression and walked into the other room.

"What did you threaten him with?"

"Not getting it how he likes it if he didn't quit acting like a randy schoolboy." Ginny replied with a smile, placing two steaming pots on the table before stepping back to admire her handiwork. Small footsteps came barreling into the kitchen and a head full of unruly black hair popped over the edge of the table.

"Hello James!"

"Auntie Hermy!" He shouted, waddling as fast as he could over to her for a hug and kiss tradition they had established. "Baby Sorpus."

"Right you are again, James." Hermione ruffled his hair affectionately. Harry reentered the kitchen, his head still slightly bowed in humility.

"Oh quit pouting and get the dishes right, you impossible man." Ginny harrumphed, her arms buried in soapy water as she quickly washed a few dishes. Hermione laughed as Harry stuck his tongue out at his wife behind his back but nonetheless he set about placing the plates and silverware on the table correctly.

"Have you happened to hear anything, Harry? Anything at all?" Hermione asked as she fished in her bag for Scorpius' bottle. Harry paused in his chore and looked up at the brunette woman.

"Sorry Hermione but…we even raided the Manor again last week and nothing came out. It doesn't look likely that we'll find him. He is, probably, dead."

"Well I don't want to give up just yet. I'll ask Kingsley if I can pop in and look at some things myself."

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><p>She scratched a spot behind her ear as she pored over the files in her possession, all currently spread across her small kitchen table. Her pen was holding a messy bun in place at the nape of her neck and Scorpius was sleeping quietly in the napping sling she had draped over her shoulder and chest. It was the only way the baby would nap without proving to be a distraction from her work, and she found it much easier to work with him attached to her instead of running to a bedroom every half an hour. Ginny insisted that Hermione could leave the baby to nap for hours, that she did it with her own sons every now and then, but Hermione actually enjoyed the feeling of the weight bearing down on her shoulders.<p>

Ginny often told the brunette that motherhood suited her, despite the child not actually being of her own flesh and blood. The redheaded woman attributed it to Hermione's nurturing attitude and already matronly air that had been accumulated from being with Harry and Ron at school.

Hermione sighed and toyed with a few strands of silken hair on Scorpius' head, peeking down at the still sleeping child before she grabbed a piece of paper with a name stamped across the top.

Astoria Madeleine Greengrass.

A picture accompanied the report. Astoria was, as she always had been, strikingly beautiful. Dark hair was tumbled perfectly across petite shoulders clad in the finest of fabrics, a hint of a classic smile gracing her bow shaped lips. Blue eyes peered out from the photo and mesmerized Hermione for a moment or two before the brunette could carry on with her reading.

_Marital status: Married (Draco Lucius Malfoy) 25 September 1999._

_Blood status: Pureblood._

_Family members: Lawrence Greengrass (father, living), Jacqueline Greengrass nee Burke (mother, deceased), Daphne Greengrass (sister, living). _

_Education: Hogwarts, Years 1-6 (Year 7 not complete due to Wizarding War)._

Hermione continued reading the report until she reached the end, her breath catching when she read the final sentence.

_Hospitalized 11 December 2000, pregnant. Died in childbirth complications late evening 11 December. Child released into custody of father, Draco Lucius Malfoy, on 14 December 2000. _

She drew in a sharp breath and subconsciously held the babe closer to her chest, as if to protect him from the information she read on the paper. She looked at the calendar she kept on the kitchen wall, thinking back to when this child had been dropped on her doorstep. It was near the end of May now, and he had been in her custody for almost ten weeks.

Draco had been a father for all of three months before he decided he couldn't cope any longer.

Fuming, Hermione began searching for the man's file and flipped it open with a determination that could keep her fueled for hours. She scanned all the information in his report quickly, knowing most of it by heart anyway since she had looked it over before the trials at the end of the war. She reached the end, where the most recent updates had been entered, and was surprised to see Harry's untidy scrawl on most of the last paragraph.

_13 May 2001- Malfoy Manor entered and searched, no living family found. Dark artifacts removed from basement cellar. Dark paraphernalia removed from several rooms of the Manor. _

_15 May 2001- H.P. returned to Malfoy Manor for final sweep. Conducted thorough search of basement cellar and all rooms of Manor. Minor sign of recent activity in west wing bedroom, most likely elves still residing in Manor. Missing three framed photos from bedroom._

Hermione closed the file and marched to the Floo, sticking her head in and covering Scorpius' ears with her hand as she yelled for Harry.

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><p>Her feet kicked some of the dead leaves in the foyer around, the rustling echoing in the grand entrance. The wind was howling outside, blowing past the windows as if it were intent on making her uncomfortable. She wound her arms a little tighter around her midsection and stepped into the front hall, looking down towards the parlor where she had once been tortured.<p>

"Which bedroom?" She finally asked. Harry pointed up the stairs to the right, which obviously led to the west wing, and they began to climb. Hermione shivered involuntarily as they ventured deeper into the Manor itself, passing by numerous closed doors and a few open entryways. They reached a hall that was darker than the rest, the curtains at the end of the passage pulled closed.

"We've tried prying those curtains open but they won't budge. Probably some sort of Sticking Charm that's set into the fabric for too long. Short of burning them, I doubt they'll ever open." Harry made small chatter as they walked down the dim corridor. He finally grabbed a door handle, twisting it until Hermione could see inside a finely decorated bedroom. "Don't know whose bedroom this was, exactly."

"Probably just a spare." She whispered, still not entirely at ease with being inside the Manor. She moved to the large dresser where picture frames dotted the surface. "The pictures that were taken…what were they of?"

"One of Lucius and Narcissa, on their wedding day. One of Draco and Astoria, on their wedding day. And the last one was of Astoria, obviously knocked up."

"And it didn't occur to you that Draco may have been the one who stole the photos?"

"Why wouldn't he just stay here, if it was him? It's his house, technically." Harry shot back quickly. "Although I don't say I blame him completely, this place creeps me right the fuck out."

"Does Ginny know you've upped your swearing vocabulary?" Hermione laughed and picked up a picture, watching as a much younger version of Draco flew by on a toy broomstick. Harry rolled his eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't want to stay if I knew government officials were searching my house on common occurrence."

"It's not common." Harry argued. "Just…conveniently random but evenly spaced out over a period of weeks."

"Harry, the Ministry is not subtle and it is definitely not random. Every two weeks is common." Hermione grumbled. She looked around, taking in the decorations. "Perhaps this was Draco's room?"

"No, his room is in the eastern wing. We're certain, we found all of his school things buried in trunks there."

"Precisely, buried in trunks. What's the first thing you did with your school things, hmm?" Hermione asked, giving Harry a knowing look.

"Son of a bitch." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You know, for an Auror, you give it your best shot." She patted his arm sympathetically and began walking around the room. "It's nice enough to be his bedroom, far enough away from everything for him to maintain his distance should he so choose, but yet close enough to never have to worry about someone really coming to look for him. Decorated in hints of Slytherin colors, like the silver piping on the bedspread and the green breaker border. Plenty of personal photos on the dresser yet not too many as to raise suspicion." She opened a drawer on the bedside table, pulling out a book and waving it over her shoulder at Harry. "And some reading material suited to a young twenty something male."

"_Missing In Action_?" Harry asked as he read the title. "Who the hell is Vonnegut?"

"I'll pretend you never asked that." Hermione clucked her tongue as Harry opened the book. A few pieces of folded paper fell out from between the pages and both people dove for them.

"Shite." Harry whistled as he unfolded what soon revealed itself as a picture, black and white and grainy on glossy photo paper. Hermione found hers to be a copy of what Harry held. "An ultrasound?"

"Well, she was pregnant." Hermione muttered, refolding her paper and putting it into her pocket.

"Hermione!"

"What? Put your copy in the book, if he comes back he'll still have one."

"You're talking like he's alive."

"And you're talking like he isn't, let's at least attempt to be optimistic." Hermione said. "You know, for Scorpius' sake."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Hopefully I've cleared up some/any confusion there may be about the timeline but if not then let me know via review or PM and I will do my best to explain it. More to come soon! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Many thanks to xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, leilane, and a couple of guests for their reviews! A huge thank you to everyone who added this to their follow or favorite list as well, you all are fabulous! And now to answer a few questions:  
>-Several of you have inquired as to Theo's whereabouts...well, all I can say is that I hope this chapter pleases you!<br>-Regarding the question about Draco's room, the author Vonnegut, and the other Slytherins: It was his room, yes. Vonnegut is an American author and one of my personal favorites. The book I chose to have hiding in Draco's room is an overview of his time as a prisoner of war, and I think, given JKR's description of Draco's reluctance to follow through with many Death Eater duties, he could relate to being held against his will. The other Slytherins will make small cameos a the next few chapters.  
>And without further ado, here's Chapter Three!<p>

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><p>Incoherent baby babble spilled forth from between tiny pink lips as Hermione bounced Scorpius on her hip. He had grown like a weed, his first birthday fast approaching. She chewed thoughtfully on a particularly delicious chocolate chip cookie, home baked by Ginny earlier that day. The redhead had stopped by to ask Hermione if she wanted to drop Scorpius with Harry and accompany the other mother on a well needed shopping trip.<p>

The unanswered files still spread across her kitchen table, counter, and the better half of her living room had been reply enough for Ginny.

"You know, if you put half as much attention into that boy as you did these files-"

"He'd be even more spoiled rotten than he is now." Hermione had quipped smartly before shooing the redheaded woman out of the house.

Hermione swiped her finger across an especially melted part of a chocolate chip and then rubbed her finger over Scorpius' bottom lip. The ten month old looked up at her, still babbling like a brook, and his tiny tongue caught a bit of the chocolate. His face screwed up in distaste at first and then he set about flailing his arms as he cackled happily at the sweetness.

"Ah, we like sweets then. I'll have to check for cavities once you start really getting your hands on things." Hermione tapped the end of his nose with her forefinger, giving him an easy bounce or two as she moved from the kitchen to the living room. He made bubbling noises the whole way, an occasional grunt or two punctuating his gurgles as his chubby fists wound their way into her hair. She grabbed one edge of the play pen she had set up in the living room and pulled it closer to the couch, gently lowering the boy into the enclosed space.

"You do realize he's never going to speak if you don't talk to him." Harry announced, making Hermione jump wildly, as he Apparated directly into her kitchen. He helped himself to a cookie from the tray and joined her in the living room.

"Perhaps I don't want him to speak, I know Ginny coos with him too much anyway." Hermione retorted. "Are you here on official business? And where are the boys?"

"Molly stopped by, she and Arthur wanted a peek at their favorite grandchildren and who am I to deny my in-laws?"

"Favorite grandchildren." Hermione snorted. "We all know mine is the clear favorite."

"You're cheating." Harry stuck out his tongue at her. "Molly loves a sob story and this boy-" He pointed to the angelic looking blond boy. "-has her wrapped up like a damned Christmas present."

A squeal of raucous giggling, followed by more punctuated raspberries and grunts, were aimed at Harry's outstretched hand. Scorpius was waving his own tiny hands in the air, breaking off into another string of babbling.

"Noisy little thing, innit?" Harry chuckled, leaning down to scoop the child up.

"And I'm the one who spoils him." Hermione rolled her eyes and began scanning a file as Harry started whispering to Scorpius in what Hermione lovingly called his 'Father Hero' voice.

"Who's that?" Harry whispered, turning Scorpius on his lap so the boy was looking at Hermione. "Is that Mummy? That your Mum?" He was rewarded with an impressive humming from the child, clearly a sign that the boy was attempting to mimic the sound of Harry's emphasized 'm' consonants. "Almost bud, almost. One day. We'll get there."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with him calling me Mum, to be honest." Hermione voiced as she chewed on her fingernail. Harry's head whipped up to stare at her, unbelieving. She shrugged. "I mean, I'm not really his-"

"Don't you dare finish that fucking sentence, Hermione." Harry said in a low tone. "I don't care if you aren't any more related to this child than I am to a Wrackspurt, but you have raised him and you've earned every single honor that comes with him calling you his Mum. Don't rob him, or yourself, of that bond. He needs it."

Hermione met Harry's stare levelly, finally admitting defeat with a tiny smile as she bowed her head back to the file in her hand.

"I almost forgot why I stopped by, other than to lecture you." Harry laughed and stood, Scorpius en route to the play pen again. Hermione looked up at the bespectacled man. "I think we may have a lead in the Auror department on Malfoy."

"Really?"

"How familiar are you with the Nott family?"

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><p>"It's…grossly ornate." Hermione stated as she stared up at the massive domicile. Harry stood to her left, his hands in his pockets as the wind batted his hair about wildly. Thick columns of the purest white marble graced the face of the mansion, vaulting up into the sky a good thirty or forty feet before meeting a pristinely shingled roof. Vines climbed attractively up from the foundation of the home, covering most of the white brick front.<p>

"It's an old money family, what do you expect?" Harry replied gruffly. "Come on. Nott's agreed to half an hour of questioning. Apparently he has some sort of schedule to keep."

The walk up the perfectly straight and paved drive was silent, but Hermione could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She hoped that this would answer all of her questions, give her some sort of insight as to why she had been chosen for Draco's last request instead of someone else.

Harry reached the door just before Hermione and lifted his hand to knock, but the portal gave way moments before he could touch it. A small elf appeared in the entryway and bowed low, gesturing them inside.

"Master Nott waits your arrival in the east study." The elf said, its head still lowered into its small chest. Harry nodded and began walking through the large foyer, Hermione trailing in his wake. The man moved as if he had been here a hundred times and Hermione followed blindly, trusting Harry's sense of direction.

The east study, or what Hermione assumed was the east study, was surprisingly well lit. The furniture was all a dark shade of deep mahogany, the couches a bright and cheery afternoon sky blue. A large desk, made entirely of what Hermione guessed to be gray granite, sat directly centered in front of a window that overlooked the front of the property. Seated in a plush brown leather chair was her old classmate, Theodore Nott.

He didn't look a day over seventeen, which was how Hermione remembered him. She had seen him last at the trials for the Death Eaters and their families. Nott had been called to stand as a witness against his father, Lucius Malfoy, and several other members of Voldemort's following. He had been a key witness in Draco Malfoy's case as well, stating several times under Veritaserum that Draco had confided in him on countless occasions his reluctance to follow in Lucius' footsteps.

Chestnut hair was ruffled atop his head, almost as messily as Harry's, and fell across a warmly tanned forehead. Hermione wondered if all Pureblooded families had such striking cheekbones, as his seemed to carry the entire length of his face. Thin black rimmed reading glasses rested across the bridge of his nose, two fingertips touching the edge of the frame over his right eye. A small scar started near his left eyebrow and raced down towards his mouth before trailing off somewhere level with the tip of his nose. A few days' worth of unshaven stubble interrupted the space between his nose and lips, which were parted and reading silently as his eyes scanned the page he held in his hand, and continued around the firm outline of his jaw.

"You can sit, if you wish." He spoke in a lilting baritone and the sound of his voice surprised Hermione so much, as it had interrupted her study of him, that she squeaked aloud. This prompted Harry to chuckle, and Theodore's head to lift. The paper he held drifted to the desktop and the glasses were removed from his face.

"Forgive her, she's gone somewhere in her head I think." Harry dropped into a chair across from the desk as if he belonged there and Hermione stiffly sat beside him, unable to stop staring at the man behind the desk.

He held her gaze patiently, blinking slowly before the smallest of smiles tilted the left corner of his mouth up. Hermione felt the unusual blush creep onto her cheeks and she looked at her lap, every now and then sneaking another peek at the abnormally green eyes that shimmered in her direction.

"Gone somewhere indeed." Theodore murmured. The dance finished in his eyes as he turned to Harry, a wave of professionalism taking over his posture. "You are here about Draco then?"

"I understand that you may have been one of the last people to see him alive, on the night of March seventeenth."

"I had gone by the Manor that evening, yes." Theodore nodded. Hermione thought quickly. The seventeenth had been only one night prior to Draco's arrival on her doorstep. "Draco had been sending me rather frantic owls starting with Astoria's hospitalization. He never handled stress well, and he considered me one of the few sane people he could trust."

"Owls about what?"

"His money, his son, his wife…Anything that he saw as a stressor, I read about it." Theodore's mouth contorted into a grimace. "I was the only person he notified when Astoria passed."

"What did you talk about on the seventeenth?"

"What to do with his son." Theodore answered calmly. Harry looked at Hermione, who had not once broken her resumed stare at the former Slytherin. "Draco knew, with his finances being badly out of sort and his own sanity going down the proverbial drain, that he could not possibly support a child, nonetheless raise it in a stable household. He had lost his wife, his parents, and very nearly all of his friends. I, being the last source of reliability the man knew, became his confidant and his counsel. He first wished to entrust the boy to me but I refused. I am still too…shall we say, connected, to the old ways of our families to consider myself fit to raise a child. It was agreed that Draco should find someone else."

"Why me?" Hermione finally piped up and contributed to the discussion. Harry and Theodore looked at her. "Why did he choose me, of all people?"

Theodore leaned forward, his hands folding over the top of his papers, the Nott family ring displayed prominently on his right hand. The smile was back, his eyes once more alight with some sort of secret.

"Because I told him to, of course."

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><p><em> "Do not ask this of me." <em>

_ "You're the only goddamn friend I have left! I'm fucking dying Theo, can't you see it?"_

_ "Of course I damn well can, Draco, I am not blind!" Theodore rubbed the place between his eyes tiredly. "I cannot take him."_

_ "You have to."_

_ "I do not have to do a fucking thing, Draco! I have no obligation to the child, be you my friend or not. I am sorry, Draco, I am not the bleeding heart you continue to think I am."_

_ "Then…" The blond man strangled a harsh sob. "Then who? I can't do this. I can't raise him, I'll be dead before the month is over. I can feel it, in my magic. It started when Astoria passed. It's eating at me, Theo, every day."_

_ "I know." Theodore sighed and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder as he stood behind the man's chair, peering down at the infant in Draco's arms. Theodore lowered his voice to a murmur. "I wish I could help you Draco, but I have exhausted my funding and my research. If you die while the child is in your care, then he too will perish."_

_ "Tell me who. Anyone, as long as he stays alive." Draco watched as the dark haired man circled around to his desk, pulling what Draco knew to be a binding contract from the left drawer of the desk. The blond stood and crossed the room, reading the name at the top of the contract. "Granger?"_

_ "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer, I believe is the proper phrase." Theodore recited. "She and Weasley never got on with it. No children. No marriage. As far from the Dark of this world as you can possibly get. Smart, yet caring. You saw the way she doted on Weasley and Potter at school. Your son will be in exceptional hands, Draco. If you wish, I will keep an eye on him."_

_ "At least you now volunteer to do something." Draco muttered. He shifted the baby so he was supporting its weight with one arm while his now free hand reached for his wand. Before he touched the tip of his wand to the paper, he hesitated. "I don't…He can't know about me. About his family. About anything."_

_ "You have my word."_

_The parchment erupted in a bright light, Draco's elegant signature gracing the bottom of the page before Theodore turned the contract around and pressed his own wand to the sheet, a miniscule scribble appearing underneath Draco's scrawl._

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please review and let me know what you think! I'm glad you all like the direction so far!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Whew. Been on a roll this evening. So, some of you (if not most) will more than likely hate me for this chapter but it is necessary to drive the plot like I want to. First, thanks to xXMizz Alec VolturiXx and Modges for their reviews, and another round of HUGE thanks to everyone who chose to favorite or follow the story! Second, don't flame me too much at the end of this chapter, I promise I will make it up to you in the near future!

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><p><em>If you're reading this then you've succeeded in finding Theodore. He's also brilliantly failed in keeping my intentions secret, so I may as well expand on them now.<br>__My son is in your care now, Granger, and I trust you will raise him as one of your own. Raise him as a Muggle, if you wish. That would benefit me, in my afterlife, and him as well. He does not need to know about his father, his grandfather, his mother, anyone related to him. He does not need to have the same urge I did, to please some authority figure steeped too far in prejudice to actually allow himself time for a child. I realize this was both selfish and selfless. I am sorry for the inconvenience that I forced upon you but, after much deliberation with Theodore and my internal demons, there really was no other way  
><em>_My Slytherin friends are hardly suited to raise children, Granger. You must know this. Even Theodore staunchly refused me. Pansy is too much of an alcohol fixated harlot to pretend to know what to do with a baby. Daphne was committed after her sister's passing. Vincent can barely manage to bathe himself and I don't want my son to be accidentally crushed by the oaf. Blaise was a close second, but the bastard inherited his mother's genes and has a habit of accidentally managing to kill off whatever human has grown attached to him. You have to see some logic in Theodore's explanation, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer", or whatever nonsense he insisted on.  
><em>_My son's name is Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy (or, I suppose, surname Granger now). Astoria wasn't as brilliant as you, but she did have her own skills, and I'm not as dim witted as you think I must be. He'll be a smart boy, Granger, and I'm sure he'll do you proud when he gets to Hogwarts. I love him, very much, and I've never been as enamored with another person as I am with him even after our short three months together. If there was a way to keep myself alive and raise him on my own, I would do it.  
><em>_I have no money left, Granger. I pooled all of my personal funds, Lucius' inheritance, and Astoria's dowry into finding a cure for this damned plague I'm stricken with. The Healers at St. Mungo's continue to baffle me with their claims that they have never seen anyone like me before. I don't know what it is, Granger, but it is eating me from the inside out. Perhaps, in a twist of absolutely cruel yet deliciously deserved fate, it's my guilt catching up to me. Perhaps it's a broken heart. Perhaps it's just a wish finally come true for someone (thank Potter and Weasley, their lucky day has come at last).  
><em>_Granger, you must swear to never let Scorpius know the atrocities I committed. I understand that there will be texts written and articles published about the war but please, to the best of your ability, hide me from him. I am ashamed and I do not wish this shame on him. I do not want him to grow up with the tainted Malfoy name attached to him. I want him to succeed, to be brilliant at whatever it is he chooses to do with his life. I don't want him to have a haunted future. I want him to be better than I had ever dreamed of being. In short, Granger, I want him to be __good__.  
><em>_I know this is unfair and I am truly sorry for burdening you with my personal affairs. Rely on Theodore if you need money. I know you can do this. I trust you. I don't know why, but I do. I feel safe, knowing he is with you.  
><em>_Love him, if you can. Love him like he was your own. Love him like my father never loved me. Love him like I can no longer love him. I am jealous of you, Granger, that you get to be with my boy while I wither away. One day, hopefully decades upon decades from now, I will see him again. Until then, keep him safe. Keep him secure. Keep him loved.  
>And for Merlin's sake, stop looking. Care for my boy.<br>__Very sincerely,  
><em>_Draco L. Malfoy_

Hermione leaned back in her seat on Theodore's couch in the study, Draco's five page letter clutched in her right hand as she closed her eyes.

"He never intended for you to see that letter. He will probably haunt me for giving it to you." Theodore said nonchalantly as he poured himself a small glass of brandy. He turned, leaning on the bookcase that made up the south wall while he stared at her. "Where did you leave the boy?"

"With Ginny." Hermione mumbled. "She has a serious affliction with attempting to spoil him."

"Indeed." Theodore sipped from his tumbler, swirling the liquid inside for a moment. "If it is not too inconvenient for you, Granger, I would very much like to meet the child."

"I think it could be arranged." Hermione stood from the sofa, brushing her hands across the tops of her jean clad thighs. She folded the letter and handed it back to Theodore. He shook his head.

"It was addressed to you, not to me. I was merely the keeper for the time being."

"Fine." She stuffed the letter into the jacket of the coat hanging from the back of a chair. "Are certain that he's dead?"

"Dead?" Theodore stifled a snort, opting instead to roll his eyes dramatically. "Granger, the man showed up on your front step in the middle of a nighttime rainstorm, drenched and shaking and looking like he was ready to crawl into his forever bed of soil, and you ask me if I am certain he is gone?" He scoffed. "Brightest witch in our generation, they say."

"No need to be rude, I was merely asking." Hermione snapped. She gathered her coat and made to leave the study when she paused. "Where…where is he buried?"

"That..." Theodore said slowly, sitting in the chair behind the desk as he ran both hands through his hair. It was already tousled and Hermione found herself watching the way his fingers wove into the neat chestnut locks too intently. "That remains a mystery even to me, Granger. I hate to sound dreadful but…I highly doubt he made it to a proper spot to die, let alone be buried in a suitable fashion."

"And there's no way you Purebloods can locate each other? No tracing spell or potion or…or anything?" She was grasping at thin straws. Theodore shook his head, dragging his hands down his face. The stubble on his chin and jaw had grown in a little more, making him appear about the right age, finally, and Hermione noticed for the first time the purplish bags under his eyes.

"Not a one, Granger. Trust me, if there was one, I would have been knocking on your door over a year ago." Theodore sighed and sank back into the plush leather of his chair. She nodded and offered him a brief smile before she strode out of the study. The sound of the front door slamming shut let him know she had finally left his manor and he leaned forward, folding his arms on his desk and burying his head there.

She had been visiting twice a week for nearly six months. It was bordering on infuriating, yet for some reason Theodore found himself looking forward to lowering his wards every Tuesday and Friday so she could come in unharmed. He kept telling himself it was because she was utterly engrossed in research and he understood her passion for the sake of knowledge. It was maddening, however, when she wore that perfume that filled his study and the way she absentmindedly hummed a tune as she read. It was beyond rage inducing when she would repeatedly rub one ankle with the opposite foot, bare feet exposed to the world, as if she was completely comfortable on his couch. It sent him into a spiraling fit of fury when she would look up at him, all doe eyed and womanly and completely immersed in her quest, to ask the simplest of questions.

And he especially hated the way her hands seemed to work with a practiced grace as they leafed through photo albums or letters or, Merlin curse him, curled around a cool glass of liquor that she occasionally indulged in.

But above all else, he absolutely despised the way she smiled at him, trusted him whenever he moved near her, listened to him when he told stories of his Hogwarts adventures, and took his word when he swore repeatedly that he had not heard a peep from Draco since that last night.

"Fuck."

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><p>"I don't think there's much more to this, Hermione." Harry ran a hand over his eyes, his glasses sitting on her kitchen table as he yawned. "I think we've exhausted every option. If he was alive, someone would know it. He's not exactly the perfect candidate for blending in, as far as looks go. His bloody hair is a nightmare of a giveaway. Someone would have reported seeing a Malfoy, no matter what corner of the world."<p>

"He was good at Charms, Harry, he could have applied a Notice-Me-Not or a Concealment or even a clever disguise. There's Polyjuice, too, and he was brilliant at Potions. There's a million routes I haven't had the proper time nor resources to investigate."

"Godric's left foot, Hermione, give it up!" Harry slammed his hand on the table. She jumped, visibly flinching, and clutched the papers in her hand closer to her chest. He sighed and cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry. I just…It's bloody aggravating, Hermione. You're obsessing over the wrong Malfoy. You should be focused wholly on that boy, not Draco. He made his choice. Don't punish the boy for it."

"I'm not! I have to find out if Draco is still out there."

"Well if he is then maybe he wants to be left the hell alone." Harry bit out harshly. "He made up his damn mind, if he wants to change it then it will be on his own terms and you should just face that much. Be happy the boy is alive."

"Well I can still figure out what was wrong with him." Hermione argued angrily. "I can go to St. Mungo's, see if they'll let me have his medical records."

"They were destroyed." Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Kingsley already looked into it. Draco cleaned up after himself fairly nicely. Not a single thing left at Gringotts either. His parents vaults, his own vault, and Astoria's were wiped out. All of the research the Healers did into his condition was confiscated and destroyed the day he dropped Scorpius off. Nott had the only paper trail, that contract, and he already showed it you."

"I just…" Hermione trailed off in desperation. "I have to know. I have to know why. Why did he do it? Why me? Why, why, bloody fucking why, Harry?! Why would someone abandon their child with the furthest thing from a friend? Why would someone just leave and not explain a damned thing? WHY?!" Her outburst drained all the energy she had left and she slumped her chair, her papers falling to the floor. Harry stared at her. Minutes of silence passed between the two before Hermione inhaled a staggered breath. Harry looked up from his pensive studying of her carpet to see tears running down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm so tired, Harry." She cried softly. "I'm so tired. I want to sleep but I can't. I can't fight the urge to keep looking. It's like something is constantly calling me to keep looking, to keep digging, that eventually I'll find what it is I'm looking for. It's driving me insane, Harry, but I don't know how to fight it."

"Hermione." He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. His sleepy green eyes looked at her face, filled with compassion and pity. "Some things just aren't meant to be explained sometimes."

"I know." She sniffled, wiping at her cheeks with the back of the hand Harry wasn't holding. "It just…I just hate it. I hate it so fucking much when I can't find the answer." He smiled at her whispered obscenity and stood from his chair, crossing over to hers. He bent, one arm going around her shoulders and the other under her knees. She laughed quietly as Harry lifted her from the chair, carrying her into her bedroom and depositing her none too gently on the still unmade bed.

"Get some sleep." Harry demanded. "Tomorrow, focus only on Scorpius. I know it's tough Hermione but…You have to try. For the boy's sake. Let Draco rest wherever he is, and put all of that stubborn researching energy into being the best woman you can be for _your_ son."

"You always know what to say, Harry." Hermione mumbled sleepily as she reached for her pillow. Harry kissed her forehead and pulled the comforter up and over her body.

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><p>Theodore looked up from his paperwork as his fireplace in the study roared with green flames unexpectedly. He grabbed his wand, standing from the desk to stand in front of the grate.<p>

"Nott." Harry Potter's floating head addressed, his face grim.

"Potter." Theodore replied, nodding.

"Don't lower your wards for Hermione tomorrow." Harry said slowly. Theodore frowned. "It's become an obsession, Nott, and it's not doing any favors for her or Scorpius if she continues to pour all of her energy into this. Do me a favor, do Scorpius a favor, and don't let her into your manor tomorrow. She has to stop this. It's been six months and not a damn thing had been upturned."

"And what kind of explanation should I give, should she come asking questions?" Theodore drawled, an eyebrow raised. Harry let out an exasperated sigh.

"Tell her you've become a Pureblood asshole or something, I don't bloody care. Just get her to stop this nonsense." With that, Harry's head disappeared from the fireplace and Theodore stood alone in his study, a mixture of relief and anxiety swallowing his entire body.

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><p>Hermione stood outside the gates to the Nott property, frowning as she felt the wards staying up. Normally Theodore lowered them for her five minutes prior to her arrival, but today he seemed to have forgotten. She could sense the ancient blood wards reaching out to try and determine who she was. Moments after she finished mentally giving Theodore the verbal thrashing he deserved, a silvery blue Patronus appeared at her feet.<p>

"Forgive my rudeness, Granger, but it is no longer prudent for us to meet. Your investigation has been thorough and I thank you for your efforts. I insist this be the last time you visit my estate." The puma that paced before her projected Theodore's voice and Hermione found herself fuming. The puma gave her one last long glance, as if it were Theodore himself sizing her up for the final time, and then dissolved into thin air.

She narrowed her eyes angrily at the wrought iron gates separating her from the property. She knew exactly who to point the finger at.

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><p>"Harry Potter!" The dark haired man in question barely had time to look up from his work desk before Hermione launched herself across the office. "How dare you! How dare you tell Theodore to deny me access to his property! I know it was you, you bloody intervening fool!"<p>

"Hermione."

"I wanted one more day to talk with him, to see if there was anything else I could glean from him-"

"Hermione."

"-had no right whatsoever to tell him to cut me off-"

"Hermione!"

"-like we're back in bloody grade school and you can tell me what-"

"HERMIONE." Harry finally interrupted her tirade. "I will say this as lovingly as I can." He paused and folded his hands on his desk. "Shut. The fuck. Up. If I hear one more damn word about Draco Malfoy I will personally seal your lips shut with my own gluing spell and then I'll have Ginny ream you properly. I am tired of seeing you waste away on this, Hermione. Scorpius needs you, now more than ever, and I can't let you continually push the child onto Ginny whenever you feel like having a go at being a bloody detective."

"But I-"

"I told you to shut up." Harry snapped, his ire growing unbearable. "Go pick up your son, and don't look at me like that, he is your bloody son and I'll be damned if I let you keep on ignoring him like this. He is a child, Hermione, and he needs you." He sighed. "Don't push off a dying man's last wish any longer. Take care of the boy, and properly."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please let me know what you think (and try not to roast me too entirely much!).


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Well, I haven't been able to stop working on this thing, it seems. It plagued me all morning at work and finally I was able to finish this chapter off. Had to press the fast forward button, but it'll keep moving along. Another ENORMOUS thanks to all of you lovely people for your reviews, follows, and favorite! You really are the thing that keeps me writing, and I love the support!

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><p>Days turned into weeks.<p>

Weeks slowly ran together to form months.

Months became years.

Her obsession with finding the truth about Draco Malfoy had disappeared the first time Scorpius looked at her and, with a grin that rivaled the most charming wizard, he had reached for her face and proudly announced her as Mummy.

Ginny finally confessed to putting up pictures of Hermione and repeatedly trying to get Scorpius to say the word, as he was already a prolific talker, but it had come from the boy without any prompting in the middle of a rainy afternoon in April of 2002. Hermione had never expected to hear it, as she didn't spend time trying to push the boy into thinking she was his mother, but the way his eyes had simply bored into hers with such innocence and, dare she think it, love, had her seriously reconsidering her role.

Harry had been right along, not to mention overly smug about it, and often rubbed it in Hermione's face that she really did enjoy being a mother. These teasing sessions most often wound up with Harry cursing loudly and Hermione pocketing her wand, a nasty Stinging Jinx doing its work on Harry's ears.

"They grow up so fast." Ginny sniffled emotionally as she looked down at the cake that proudly proclaimed a joyous birthday to James. He was turning seven. "Just yesterday it seemed he was begging me to read Babbity Rabbity one more time…"

"Well you still have Lily for that." Hermione comforted the redheaded woman as they both watched the tangle of children playing in the garden. James led the pack of smaller bodies in a charge against the older kids. James, Albus, Scorpius, and Lily chased after Teddy and Fred, the barely older boys laughing as they effortlessly dashed in circles around their cousins. Hermione watched the littlest of them all, Lily, as the tiny girl tried her best to keep up with the pack of boys. Her flaming red hair had been braided beautifully and Hermione smiled. Ginny looked suspiciously at Hermione.

"You've got that dreamy smile on your face." Ginny accused. Hermione spun on the spot, busying herself with setting the table. "Hermione, if you want to get back on the dating scene all you have to do is say so."

"Nonsense Gin." Hermione said, her head still lowered.

"I think Charlie still hasn't settled down. Maybe I could convince Mum to have one of her famous dinners. They're due to arrive any moment. I'm sure she'd love to have you back with one of her sons, especially after-"

"That's enough." Hermione cut across Ginny's wishful thinking in a harsh tone, signaling that the conversation was done exploring her prior romantic involvement with Ron. Ginny straightened up, barely embarrassed.

"He didn't do right by you, you know. None of us applaud him for it, Mum's gotten particularly bad about giving him the smallest dinner portions lately." Ginny offered up quickly, attempting to backtrack. Hermione sighed and sank into a chair. "I'm sorry. My mouth has a mind of its own, I blame this child." Ginny prodded herself in her gut, which was rounded slightly with evidence of her fourth child.

"Yes, indeed, blame the children." Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips.

"Better than blaming their father, that's for sure." Harry added as he joined the women in the kitchen, one hand rubbing lovingly over Ginny's midsection. "I'm sure I'll get plenty of that in five months' time."

"Indeed you will." Hermione laughed, her joy interrupted by the sound of the sitting room's fireplace coming to life. Soon enough Arthur and Molly Weasley made their entrance, and as if called by some unheard whistle, all six of the children burst in from outside.

"Granmamma! Granmamma, look what Dad got me!" James set about waving his new toy broom in Molly's face while Arthur busied himself by planting kisses all over Lily's forehead.

"Watch where you wave that thing, James Sirius!" Ginny shouted as the broom barely missed the back of Teddy's head.

"Oh confound it all Harry! I thought we agreed I was to get him the broom this year!" George threw his hands up in the air as he fussed with the dark haired man.

"Mummy, I want to go back outside!" Albus wailed as soon as he was put down from his embrace from Molly.

"Ah, Hermione, there you are!" Hermione found herself swept into Arthur's hug and laughed as she lost count of the number of red haired individuals. The confusion was expounded upon when the fireplace spit forth another set of bodies, Bill and Fleur and their daughters Victoire and Dominique, as well as the newborn Louis.

Soon the Potter house was filled to the brim with bustling Weasley's, and by the time dinner was announced as ready, Percy and his clan had arrived along with Ron.

"Remind me to buy a bigger house next year." Harry muttered to Hermione as he squeezed in to his seat between her and his wife. Hermione simply smiled and looked to her left, where Scorpius was already devouring the food placed before him.

"Slow down, Scor. You don't want to choke."

"But James said if I eat faster then I can be seven faster!" The young boy replied, his logic making Hermione laugh out loud.

"It doesn't quite work like that, darling." The blond rolled his eyes and Hermione had to restrain herself from picturing a young Draco doing the same thing to Narcissa at some point in the past.

"I know that, Mummy." Scorpius turned back to his food. "I have to blow out candles too." He continued smartly. Hermione hid her snort behind her napkin, her motion drawing the attention of a certain Weasley brother.

She met Ron's eyes from across the table, the thinnest of smiles passing between them before Hermione draped an arm around Scorpius' shoulders. When the boy beamed up at her, carrying on about trying James' new toy broom later that evening, Ron made a face of disgust and a show of turning to talk to Percy.

At the end of the evening, after each child had taken their fair turn on James' new broom, Hermione retreated to the kitchen to begin the cleaning process. She didn't turn when the doors opened, expecting Ginny. She was instead met with a larger pair of arms as they were dunked into the sink beside her own.

"Still caring for the thing, are you?"

"He is a boy, not a thing, and yes I am. It's part of being his mother." Hermione replied, not once looking up at Ron. He sighed and set about scrubbing the casserole dish.

"I still don't understand why you feel like you have an obligation to Malfoy, of all people."

"It's been five years, Ron. Please." Hermione whispered, unwilling to enter yet another fight with the man.

"I wanted to have a future with you, Hermione. I proposed after the war and everything!"

"I wasn't ready then."

"But two years later Malfoy shows up on your door step and drops off a baby and suddenly you're ready?" Ron stopped washing and stared at her. "We could have built a family by then, like Harry and Ginny did."

"But we weren't Harry and Ginny. We never will be." Hermione retorted. "I made my choice Ron, and I have to stand by it. If you really did love me you would overlook my decision."

"I can't play father to a Death Eater's child." He was met by an angry stare from the dark haired woman.

"Don't you dare pass judgment on my son."

"Can you hear yourself? Your son?" Ron scoffed and began toweling his hands dry.

"You have no right to-"

"He's not even your bloody child, Hermione!" Ron finally shouted. Hermione shushed him hurriedly, knowing his volume would have carried into the yard. Sure enough, Harry and George had turned towards the kitchen doors, Ginny's attention also captured by her brother's outburst.

"Don't start this again. Please." Hermione hissed as Harry moved across the yard. Ron rolled his eyes and threw the towel on the back of a chair, tossing open one door to go outside as Harry came inside.

"Again?" Harry asked in a low voice as Hermione shifted her gaze back to the sink. She nodded and continued washing dishes. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you that-"

"He's an enormous, prejudiced prat? Yes Harry, I am aware." Hermione laughed bitterly and tried her best to drown a cup in the soapy water. Harry sighed and placed his hands on his hips while he watched Ron interact with the family outside. "It's about time I should go anyway, once I finish these dishes."

"Hermione, stay. Don't run off." Harry begged, knowing his battle was lost when she offered him a sad smile. "I'm sorry he's such an idiot." He frowned then. "Actually, I'm kind of glad he can't get past this whole Scorpius thing." With a careful glance outside Harry leaned in closer to Hermione. "Always felt you could do better, you know."

"Harry, when did you become so interested in my love life?"

"Since my wife made it her hobby to try and fix you up with anyone and everyone she knows." Harry snorted. "She actually considered Seamus."

"Seamus?" Hermione enjoyed a long and hearty laugh at Ginny's expense. "Those pregnancy hormones have seriously gone through her skull."

"Clearly."

"And will you two stop breeding already?" Hermione gave Harry a pointed look. "You're making the rest of the world look bad. Goodness knows Fleur can only produce so many more children before her hips give out on her. She isn't built from Molly Weasley's stock, you know."

"Ginny wants six. Says it'll keep both of us on our toes for years."

"Six?" Hermione screeched. "She's impossible."

"I think this will be our last. Honestly, I'm exhausted by Lily."

"Because you spoil her."

"Hark, the pot speaks." Harry teased. Hermione smiled and drained the sink as she placed the last of the now clean dishes in the drying rack. "I've seen the way you dote on Scorpius. You're almost as bad as Molly."

"Almost being the effective key word." Hermione reminded him. "Let's get outside then, I distinctly remember something about fireworks being mentioned."

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><p>"Mummy! Mummy!" Hermione darted from her usual spot on the couch up towards Scorpius' bedroom, her heart pounding at his frantic cries. She threw open the door and found him sitting in the middle of the floor, one hand clapped over his mouth while the other clutched something tightly. The tips of his fingers were stained red with blood. Beside him Albus looked on tearfully, dropping a toy wand on the floor as Hermione knelt beside them.<p>

"I didn't mean to!" Albus wailed pitifully, sniffling as tiny tears began to fall down his cheeks. Hermione shushed him quickly and then set about prying Scorpius' hand from his mouth.

"Open up darling, let me have a look." She prompted him gently and the boy obeyed, carefully widening his mouth until Hermione could see where one of his lower front teeth had been knocked clean out. A small flow of blood painted his gum line. "It's just a tooth Scor, it's meant to come out."

"Will I live?" The small blond asked shakily, peering down at the tooth he held in his hand.

"Of course you will!" Hermione nearly laughed at his question and instead hugged him to her tightly. She reached over and rubbed Albus' arm as the boy tried to stop crying. "It's alright, it's just a tooth."

"It hurt!" Scorpius whined. "Al hit me in the mouth, Mummy."

"I didn't mean to!" Albus set about crying again and Hermione clucked her tongue at him.

"It was an accident Scor, and nothing came of it." She held out her hand for the tooth and Scorpius deposited it into her hand. "Remember when James lost his first tooth? Remember, Albus?"

"Y-yes." He nodded and wiped at his nose with the back of his hand.

"That's all that happened." Hermione rocked back on her heels. "He's lost a lot of teeth since then, hasn't he?"

"Yes." Both boys nodded.

"And he's just as fine as ever." She said smartly. "But perhaps we shouldn't wave wands in other people's faces, hmm?"

The two children mumbled something unintelligible and Hermione stood, smiling.

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><p>"Knocked his tooth out?" Harry asked, smiling, as he glanced down at his son. Albus was sound asleep, mouth wide open with both small arms flung out to either side as he slumbered beside Scorpius in the blond boy's bed.<p>

"Clean out." Hermione chuckled softly while Harry picked Albus up.

"Thanks for watching him today."

"Well, you and Ginny needed a day to yourselves. I could see it in her face last week." She shrugged and her assumption was confirmed by Harry's nod. "It wasn't difficult to talk George into taking James, and your father in law is too smitten with Lily to say no."

"Well Gin and I appreciate it." Harry kissed Hermione's cheek as he adjusted Albus. "She's gotten fussy lately."

"I would be too if I was carrying twins at eight months."

"Fair point." Harry once again shifted Albus' weight. "I'll have to tell Gin to lay off feeding this one, he's got to be closing in on a ton."

"Either that or you're going soft." Hermione teased. He rolled his eyes and began the walk down the steps to the living room. "Kiss Lil and James for me when you get home, and tell Ginny she needs to hurry up with the last two. I'd like to see them before I turn thirty."

"You and me both." Harry laughed, disappearing into the green flames to return to his home. Hermione sighed, hands on her hips as she looked around the living room one more time before climbing the stairs to get ready for bed.

She made it to Scorpius' bedroom door, peeking in on the sleeping child. Quietly she moved to sit on the edge of his bed, one hand coursing through his bright blond hair. Within minutes she was curled up on her side next to the boy, her hand still resting in his hair as she fell asleep.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Thank you my lovelies for your reviews, follows, and favorites! I've had several people ask when Theodore would be making his appearance again and thus, I have delivered. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do that, but I got inspired on my adventure out into the snow this morning! Luckily for you all I've had the last two days off work thanks to the snowstorm and it's looking like tomorrow will be called off too! Hopefully that means I'll be able to sit down and give both stories some love! This one is coming along a little easier, and it's all thanks to you! Enjoy!

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><p>Hermione let her hand trail over a swatch of fabric in Madam Malkin's, blissful memories overwhelming her brain as the music from the Yule Ball in her Fourth Year played for her ears only. Her fingers rubbed over the silkiest of satins, the smoothest of suedes and the dreamiest of chiffons. She turned, her face peaceful as she let her gaze carry over the woman on the measuring pedestal.<p>

"Lavender, you look…" Ginny began, her voice fading off as she searched for a word.

"Stunning." Hermione finished for the redhead. Ginny nodded in agreement. Lavender pressed her hands to her mouth, excited, as she spun in the brilliant white gown. Hermione felt the bitter pang of jealousy strike her heart.

Lavender and Ron had been dating exclusively for nearly a year. He had proposed only two weeks ago. It at first had enraged Hermione and she refused to even speak with the man, but eventually Harry reasoned that she needed to move on and that her anger would only manifest itself towards someone else. Begrudgingly, she had agreed with the dark haired man. He was getting too rational in his slightly less than young age and fatherhood had definitely mellowed his once radical outbursts. But it didn't mean she didn't hurt, still, in the depths of her core.

"Ron won't know what hit him." Hermione smiled and walked towards the bride to be, placing a small bouquet of transfigured blush roses into Lavender's hands. "He's lucky to have you, Lavender."

"Thank you." She replied breathlessly. "I know this can't be easy for you, Hermione, and I-"

"Hush. Don't worry on me." Hermione said adamantly. "He's yours now, that's all you need to worry about."

Hermione cried deeply into her pillow that evening, hating that Lavender had picked a gown so similar to the one she had envisioned herself wearing on her wedding day, hating that she got to be happy with the man Hermione had once thought of as her forever partner, loathing the fact that she would have to stand by in a gown not made for a bride and watch as the two traded vows of eternity.

She pounded her fists angrily into the spare pillow, wishing with all her might that this pillow was where Ron would choose to lay his head. Harry had told her not to bottle her anger but damn, if she hadn't tried to let it go, and damn if she couldn't help herself that today had been particularly stressful.

"Mummy?" Hermione wiped at her face quickly and sat up on her bed, smiling at the little blond boy that now stood a good four inches taller than the last measured niche on her doorframe. "Mummy, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Scor."

"You're crying Mummy. Your eyes are all red and puffy, like Aunt Ginny's when she reads her silly books."

"I know darling." The boy crossed the room and leaned on her bed, folding himself at the waist with his arms pinned beneath his chest. She ruffled his hair.

"Can I make it better?" Scorpius asked innocently. Hermione laughed and bent to kiss his forehead. "Gross Mummy. I'm seven now, you can't do that!"

"I can do that all I wish, I'm your Mummy." She laughed and attacked the boy's sides with her fingers, his delighted shrieks and giggles keeping her joy at the surface and her hurt pushed down.

"Mummy, stop!" Scorpius begged, his face red from enthusiastic tickling. Hermione ceased her assault, brushing a few more kisses across his forehead. "Mummy?"

"Hmm?" Hermione gathered the boy up in her lap, caging him in her arms against her chest. Scorpius wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his head leaning easily against her shoulder.

"Why don't I have a daddy?" The boy's question shot right through her. "James and Albus and Lily have Uncle Harry as their daddy, and Victoire and Dom and Louis have Uncle Bill, and Fred has Uncle George, and Teddy has Uncle Harry too! Why don't I have one?"

"Because darling…" Hermione gritted her teeth and then readjusted the child so they were looking at each other face to face. "It wouldn't be fair to all the other children if you got spoiled by two people instead of just one."

"So…it's because you love me too much already?"

"That's exactly it, Scor." Hermione tapped the end of his nose with her finger and he grinned widely, his silver eyes bright.

"Are you done crying, Mummy?" He began to climb down from her lap, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Uncle George always takes Lily for ice cream when she's done crying, and he gets me one too sometimes, if I've been good. But I'm always good, super good even when he's not looking! We should go get ice cream Mummy, to make you feel better."

"I think that sounds delightful." Hermione nodded and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, deciding that it wasn't too dreadful of a sight to force on innocent bystanding public. "Go grab your coat and I'll race you to the door!"

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><p>They sat together on the bench outside of the ice cream parlor, Scorpius' short legs swinging inches above the ground as he happily licked at his impressive stack of chocolate ice cream scoops. Hermione had gone with a plain vanilla cup, forgoing any sprinkles, syrups, or sauces. Every now and then she would spoon a bit off the side of Scorpius' cone, prompting the boy to stick his finger in her ice cream. They went on like this for nearly half an hour, regular patrons going about their business around them. They had nearly finished their cup and cone when Hermione noticed a somewhat familiar person walking down the path, head hunched into the upturned collar of the long dark coat draped over their shoulders.<p>

She waited until the man looked up and then it was if all the wind had been knocked out of her chest. The spoon in her hand fell into her cup with a plastic clatter. She wouldn't have been able to forget that shade of bright peridot if she had tried with all her might. His eyes caught hers and began to look away and then suddenly, as if slapped viciously on one side of his face, he redirected his gaze to hers again. And then he stopped walking, his face going slack of all expression as they simply stared at each other.

He was the first to move, taking hesitant and measured steps towards her and the spot she and Scorpius had claimed on the bench.

"Granger."

"Nott." Hermione stood up, placing her cup of ice cream on the bench beside Scorpius. The boy had stopped swinging his legs, instead staring up at the man who had addressed his mother. Hermione extended her hand. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has." He shook her hand quickly and looked down at the boy seated on the bench, his breath catching in his throat. "Merlin he looks…" Here Theodore broke off, a fumbled smile coming to his face. "Well, I am beyond sure you know."

"I do." Hermione nodded and shuffled her feet nervously. "How've you been?"

"Fine. Busy, actually."

"Wonderful."

"How is the clan doing?" Hermione couldn't help but laugh as he asked after the Weasley's. "I saw Ronald's engagement announced in the Prophet just last week." At this Hermione sobered and managed a wry smile. "I am sorry, Granger. I had always thought it would have been you."

"He couldn't get past…" She cast a meaningful glance at Scorpius, who was watching the exchange between the two adults with poorly veiled interest. Theodore rocked back on his heels and nodded slowly.

"I see." He drawled, tossing his head as to throw the hair that had drifted across his forehead out of his eyes. "Well, Granger, as I am currently en route to meet a client, I should be heading on."

"A client in Muggle London?" Hermione asked curiously. It was Theodore's turn to smile with a grim expression.

"Most of the Wizarding world wishes to not entangle with a tarnished family name, regardless of my practice being the best in the industry. Muggles tend to not care at whom they toss their money, as long as I win the case."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I highly doubt that, but thank you regardless." Theodore looked down at Scorpius one last time, opening his mouth as if he were about to say something. He quickly changed his mind and looked back to Hermione. "Have a nice day, Granger."

"You too." She waved her goodbye and he walked off, chancing one more glance over his shoulder at Scorpius prior to picking up his brisk walking pace.

"Who was that Mummy?" Scorpius asked as Hermione sat back down on the bench.

"Someone Mummy went to school with, darling." She ran a hand over Scorpius' hair as the boy continued eating what little was left of his ice cream.

"Does he like ice cream?"

"I suspect he might, but I'm not sure."

"You should ask him if he does. He looked like he wanted to share an ice cream with us. He looked at mine an awful lot, maybe he likes chocolate best."

"Maybe." Hermione smiled at the child's blissful ignorance and took a bite of the sugary cone when it was held up to her face.

That night, instead of crying herself to sleep, Hermione found it difficult to shake the sight of two dazzling green eyes from her dreaming mind.

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><p>"You seem awfully chipper today." Ginny noted as she watched Hermione positively float through the new kitchen. The Potters, thanks to their ever expanding family, had decided to relocate and upsize the house they had been living in. Now they lived closer to the Burrow, in a home that reminded Hermione of the old Weasley house. It was a neatly stacked three floor monstrosity, but with five children and the high possibility of there being a sixth, Harry had shoveled over the money without a single complaint.<p>

"Is it against the law to have a good day?"

"No, but I'm just saying it's unusual." Ginny said pensively as she eyed the brunette. With a gasp Ginny clapped her hands to her mouth. "You've met someone!"

"Don't be impossible." Hermione scoffed as she poured a glass of wine for herself.

"You did!" Ginny squealed happily and bounced on her toes. "Who is it? Oh no wait, let me guess!" She tapped a finger on her chin. "Tall."

"Ginny."

"And definitely handsome. Chiseled, some would say, from a fine marble."

"Ginevra, really."

"I imagine some sort of scholar, a professor or perhaps an author."

"Ginny." Hermione was edging on exasperated as she sipped her wine.

"Hmmm…" Ginny sank into a chair opposite Hermione and propped her face in her hands. "Wizard?"

"I haven't met anyone! You, woman, are infuriating." Hermione shook her head and smiled at the other woman.

"Says the woman who won't even tell me that she ran into one very scrumptious dual worldly attorney yesterday." Ginny narrowed her eyes at Hermione, who blushed and stared at her wine glass. "I knew it! I absolutely knew it!"

"How you know this I will-"

"Darling, will you just accept that I have a gift?"

"More like spies."

"I can read you like a book." Ginny waved a dismissive hand. "You haven't had that dreamy look on your face since you came back to the house one evening after an encounter with Theo."

"And since when are you on a first name basis, hmm?"

"Oh please." Ginny actually snorted. "Last names are such a thing of the past, school house rivalries and all that nonsense are just childish."

"Says the woman who won't eat garden peas!" Hermione laughed.

"They are disgusting and my pregnancy with James only strengthened my belief that anything that comes out of the ground, barring potatoes, cannot be good for your health." The redhead shrugged her shoulders daintily and then rose to her feet as a soft crying floated down from the upstairs nursery. "That would be the twins. You are not under any circumstances to disappear. We still have to talk about this."

Hermione's break was extremely short lived as the west sitting room roared with a Floo arrival.

"Mummy! Mummy, look what Uncle George got me today!" Scorpius waved a Bulgarian Quidditch flag proudly above his head, his pale face streaked with red and black paint as he and Albus tore through the Potters' kitchen. George entered the kitchen moments later, his own cheeks colored to match Scorpius'. Albus had opted for the pale blue of the French national team. James came flying through a second later, his face a vibrant green for Ireland. Harry followed his oldest son with a warning shout about flying in the house, a tricolor Ireland hat perched haphazardly on his head as Lily struggled to get out of her father's grasp, her French blue paint rubbing off on Harry's sleeve as she managed to free herself. The tangle of children erupted out into the yard, for which Hermione was thankful.

"They had a blast." George declared triumphantly, his hands on his hips as he watched his son Fred, with ferocious black and red streaks under his eyes, chase down Albus and Lily. Teddy cackled from the treehouse Harry and George had put together, waving an American national team flag as he held the rope ladder just out of reach from Scorpius and James. George and Harry had volunteered to take all of the children to the World Quidditch Fair, an expo that had been set up in Wizarding London a few weeks earlier. Hermione knew that it was simply because the men themselves wanted to go but needed a better excuse to get out from under their wives' watchful eyes.

"It seems like you two did as well." Hermione noted as she took in Harry's hat and George's face paint. "I'm sure Angie will love to see that when you get home, not to mention Fred's decorations."

"She loves it." George shrugged. Ginny came down from upstairs, one twin perched on her hip. "Ah, there's…which one is this again?"

"Remus." Ginny passed the child off to George, who took the boy and instantly began babbling nonsense to him. "Harry darling, would you mind grabbing Rom? Only Remus woke but they both need to be fed."

"I'll do it. Harry just got back." Hermione volunteered, dashing out of the kitchen and up to the nursery.

She returned to the kitchen, baby Romulus held against her left shoulder, and was met with the curious stares of Harry and George. She paused at the entrance, her back straightening the slightest bit.

"What?"

"More like what, yourself, missy." George gave a pointed look at the chair closest to him. "Sit, and spill."

"Ginny!" Hermione glaringly turned on the other woman, who feigned innocence and continued fixing warm applesauce for the twins.

"I didn't say a word."

"Rotten bloody liar, you are." Hermione seethed. Harry perched on the edge of the kitchen table, tossing a pear up into the air a few times before taking a bite. With a sigh, Hermione admitted to running into her former classmate.

"You should owl him." Harry said, wiping at the corner of his mouth where some of the juice from the fruit had leaked out. "Bet he couldn't say no to dinner with you."

"I'll even watch Scor." George grinned widely. "He and Fred get on nicely, plus Angie's been bugging me about when she gets to see the tow headed devil again. How's Thursday sound?"

"What, no, George, I can't-"

"Lovely!" George patted Hermione's shoulder and passed Remus to Harry before holding his hands out over the back of Romulus. "Now give me that one, I want equal uncle bonding time."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Please let me know what you think! You guys rock!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Forgive my absence, dearest readers. Hopefully this makes up for it...I had a bit of wild ride with my inspiration for the last week or so and I wrestled with it but...I think I won. Or at least I hope I did.

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><p>"Cases won?"<p>

"Three hundred and eleven."

"Cases lost?"

"Twenty six." White wine passed swiftly through barely parted lips. "Twelve technicalities, fourteen straight up losses."

"That's an astounding win-lose ratio regardless."

"I happen to be good at my practice. Even you cannot fault a man who enjoys his trade."

"Are you saying you're good at taking people's money, or twisting your words?"

"Whichever suits your fancy." A coy smile darted across a wine flavored mouth, deep peridot eyes gazing through dark brown lashes in a sensual stare. "Now tell me, Hermione, why it is that you decided to corner me into this evening out on the town?"

"Corner you?" Hermione harrumphed haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat. She opened her mouth to reply, and quickly shut it, rethinking her answer. With a sigh and leaned forward, elbows finding resting spots on the edge of the linen covered table. "In all honesty…I think maybe it's time."

"Time?" Theodore echoed dully, swirling the rest of his chardonnay before downing it in a single gulp. A nod to the waiter signaled his want for another.

"When I saw you earlier this week, it hit me." Hermione toyed with the stem of her wine glass, a dark merlot liberally breathing from the goblet. "I'm not equipped to handle the intricacies of all the questions I know Scorpius will have in a few years. Goodness knows that when he goes off to Hogwarts he will find out. There are pictures, I have no doubt, of you lot down in the dungeons, just like we had pictures in cases up in our tower." Hermione fidgeted, tucking some of her hair behind her ears. "I can't tell him a single thing about his father."

"Because Draco asked you not to, I believe." Theodore reminded her, his tone sharp. She lifted her eyes to meet his, not in a challenge, but firm nonetheless.

"He asked me not to but I will not lie to this child if he comes to me with sincere curiosity." She replied levelly. Theodore tilted his head and watched the wine fill up his glass, a hand slicing through the air to end the supply of drink.

"And you think I wish to perform this task?" He lifted the wine to his lips once more, a hefty gulp making him bare his teeth a little bit. "I may not have always been a supporter of Draco's, but he was a friend to me when I needed him and I intend to return the favor by honoring the last of his requests."

"When you needed him?"

"Now is not the time nor place for that little trip down memory lane, Granger." Theodore said with a stiff note of finality. She nodded and braced herself for the sip of wine. She honestly didn't drink all too much, and this was her third glass, but it was nothing compared to the bottle and a half that the man across from her had downed without so much as a hiccup. "If, and only if, Scorpius comes to you, armed with names and photos and, Merlin forbid, wishes to know why he has so many similarities to the Malfoy line…" Theodore rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Then, and only then, will I consider regaling the boy with a few harmless stories of his father."

"Harmless stories? Of what, schoolboy roughhousing and practical pranks?"

"What do you wish me to tell him? Initiations? Rituals? Blood-letting in the name of eternal glory and power?" His eyes went dark for a moment and Hermione felt her pulse skyrocket. There was something about the way he spoke, something in the way he spun words together that set her veins to fire. "I will not burden the boy with the truth from the start. Draco was not an evil man but he is a far cry from innocent as well. If you want to deal with the nightmarish honesty I can give the child then fine, he shall know."

"That won't be necessary." Hermione said quietly, still toying with the stem of her glass. She sighed. "Perhaps I was mistaken in asking. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll wind up in Ravenclaw, after all, and then I can be spared."

"Hardly likely. Not a single Malfoy, Zabini, or Nott has been placed in a House other than Slytherin." Theodore grinned a little, bringing a sense of boyish charm to his face. "I suppose you could call all of us cursed from the beginning. Doomed to a life of exile, hatred, and evil."

"Don't be so sarcastic, Theodore." She scoffed at him. He barked out a small bit of laughter and then turned his attention again to his wine.

"I wish I was being sarcastic, my dear." At the sentiment her eyebrow quirked and he waved a dismissive hand at her. "So tell me, Granger, what exactly a war hero does after graduating from Hogwarts."

"This war hero has been perfectly content resting on her laurels and reveling in the spoils of battle." Hermione joked lightly, giggling as she polished off the last of her wine. Almost immediately Theodore was motioning for the waiter to refill the empty goblet. "I was asked to come on at the Ministry as a consultant in the Curse Breaking Department, specifically focusing on runes and glyphs. I turned them down. The Ministry was always Harry and Ron's thing. I secretly wanted to be a professor, at Hogwarts. Maybe Transfiguration. Or Charms."

"Yes, I remember you were skilled in both."

"Occasionally I take the odd side job and help some of the younger Curse Breakers decipher particularly difficult runes but…for the last seven years, almost, my main priority has been motherhood." Hermione didn't mean for the end of her sentence to sound disheartened, but it did, and Theodore wound up leaning across the table to get a closer look at her face.

"Do you regret saying yes?"

There was a beat or two of silence before she would meet his eyes, a thin layer of tears balancing precariously on her lower lashes. A faulty smile wavered, her bravery trembling almost as much as her lower lip.

"Of course I do." Her whisper ghosted through the air, her admission sending a wave of relief across her shoulders and a flood of shock through Theodore's body. "If I hadn't said yes…I could have had children of my own. Could have been married. Could have traveled the world. There are so many things…so many things that I wish I could have done but…" She bit her lip and blinked back the emotion in her eyes. "But my regret is nothing when I think about how much I've come to love Scorpius." Her expression turned fierce suddenly, startling Theodore. "He's my son, his lineage be damned, and I'd do anything for him."

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><p>"It is rather quaint."<p>

"Quaint?"

"I mean to say it suits you, Granger. No offense intended."

"Well it's no manor, nor estate, but I like it well enough."

"It feels…like…" Theodore struggled to find a word and tapped his fingers on his chin as he sank onto the couch. "A home."

"Thank you." Hermione drifted into the kitchen. "Can I get you anything? Water? Tea?"

"Wine, if you have any." He stood up again, lengthy strides carrying his fit frame across the dining room. "Us Purebloods run on a strict diet of sarcasm, endangered meats, and fine wines."

"Well, it's not fine, but it is wine." Hermione laughed at his joke and poured out two sizable glasses of pinot noir. Theodore hummed and plucked his glass from her hand, taking a sniff.

"It shall serve, for the time being." He winked at her, his normally stoic demeanor considerably relaxed after three entire bottles of chardonnay over dinner. Hermione had somehow stomached through five glasses of merlot but refused to drink anything else at the restaurant. Her head was on the precipice of spinning but, regardless of Harry's teasing about her lightweight status, she was holding steady.

"You're awfully fun when you're bordering drunk, Theodore."

"I rather wish you would not call me that." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "My father had a penchant for using my full first name."

"What should I call you then?" Hermione leaned back against the counter, her left arm dangling across her body as she lifted the wine to her lips with her right hand. He shrugged, swirling the red liquid for a few moments before fixing his gaze on Hermione.

"Whatever comes to mind."

Her breath caught in her throat, for some inexplicable reason, and her hand tightened around the stem of her glass. Her eyes locked with his, brown on green, and her pulse soared as she tried not to notice the way his eyes now dipped to her mouth.

She didn't know how he crossed the kitchen so fast, or when he wrenched the wine from her hand and got his own settled around her waist, or why he tasted like caramel coated chocolate after all that wine, but there he was, pressed tight against her in her kitchen, fingers digging through the fabric of her bottle green wrap dress and pulling desperately at her hips while her own digits threaded greedily through his hair and yanked at the chestnut strands.

Later, she giggled while she pulled the heavy blanket down from the chair where she did most of her reading, throwing it over their entangled bodies while he dropped a constellation of kisses across her shoulder and collarbone.

"I hope you like your new nickname."

"I hardly think it will be appropriate for public use." His words were muffled by the skin at the top of her left breast, where he was resting his cheek. "'My God' does not seem child friendly."

"You're impossible." She slapped his bare back and laughed despite herself. He sighed and shifted, repositioning them so it was now her cradled against a warm expanse of flesh. "Ginny called you Theo the other day, I was thinking that's not so horrible."

"I agree." His chin came to rest in her hair, one hand drifting listlessly across her back and up to her waist over and over again. "Hermione…"

"Hmm?" Her eyes had closed, her breathing slowing as she fast approached sleep.

"I never thanked you for inviting me to dinner." He stifled a yawn and folded his free arm under the back of his head. "It was a grand time."

"Just you wait until breakfast." She mumbled, drowsily sliding a little closer as a leg was thrown over his body. "I doubt you'll be thanking me then."

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><p>"Sweet Merlin." Theodore cracked an eye against the pounding in his head, slowly taking in his surroundings. His back was aching and his arm was very much asleep. It was pinned beneath something and a strung out curse slipped from his lips when he saw what, or whom, his limb was trapped under.<p>

"Stop fidgeting, if you don't mind. My head is already murdering me." Hermione grumbled, rolling off of his arm and taking a majority of the blanket with her. Theodore gripped the corner that was covering his body and desperately looked around for his clothing. His slacks were draped across the back of the chair near the entrance to the living room. He groaned and threw back the blanket, shame be damned, and crossed the room, stuffing his legs into the trousers without ceremony. He thrust his hands deep into his hair, leaving them there as Hermione wrapped herself up in the blanket and climbed to her feet. "Oh for shit's sake…"

"Yes, very eloquent." Theodore snapped grumpily as he searched for his shirt.

"You started this!"

"And what exactly, pray tell, am I responsible for this absolute clusterfuck of a situation?" He spat at her, snatching his crimson button down from the floor and pushing his arms through the sleeves.

"You very nearly crashed my kitchen to get to…to…this!" She gestured to herself with one hand, the other busy with keeping her decency covered with the blanket. Theodore narrowed his eyes at her.

"If I recall correctly, and I do because I do not suffer from selective amnesia, coming back to your domicile was entirely your idea!"

"As if you had any kind of reservation about coming here with me!"

"Of course not! Any bloke would have been jumping at the chance, you all wrapped up in that shimmery green number with high heels that screamed your need of a good and rotten shag-_**OI**_!"

"How. DARE. You." Hermione had launched her book at him from its perch on the coffee table. He ducked, the corner of the thick tome barely missing his head. "You're vile! You're absolutely dreadful! My sex life is none of your concern-"

"Au contraire my darling, I think it is something I am highly privy to as of this moment."

"Get out!" She screamed, flinging her arms wildly. Her decency was flung to the wind as she began the hunt for her clothes. Hermione struggled for a moment to get the wrap dress situated correctly around herself but fixed the bow with a decided harrumph and then stared at Theodore, who hadn't moved an inch. "Are you deaf as well? I said get out!"

"I will not go gallivanting down through the neighborhood after you have so carelessly flaunted yourself in front of me like that." He swallowed thickly and Hermione could see the mental battle waging inside his head. His eyes were tracing the outlines of her curves, the obscure shade of his irises alight with the same lust she had witnessed the evening prior. Her pulse, ever traitorous, skyrocketed as he stared her down.

* * *

><p>"It's always going to be like this with you, isn't it?" Hermione groaned as she let her forehead fall into Theodore's once more bare chest. He laughed heartily.<p>

"I would lie and say no but…that would be unbecoming." She whined again and pounded a balled fist into his collarbone. "Hermione. I honestly do not know what you expect of me, or of our situation but…I must be straightforward with you."

"Please do." She mumbled, breathing in deep against his flesh. He smelled like sandalwood and fine wine, with a dash of cologne that no doubt cost a small fortune. He pushed back against her shoulders, looking down at her face across the small space between them.

"This will not be some half composed attempt at courting you, if you want to continue. I do not often…pursue women. I want you to understand that, despite us having a shotgun one-off after a little too much wine, I do not make a habit of this kind of behavior." Theodore paused for a moment before charging on. "And you should probably know that dinner and a delightful bedroom tumble is not nearly enough to make up for not hearing from you for six bloody years."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Please let me know what you think and leave me a review!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Thank you all soooooooooo much for the continued love and support! I really appreciate it! It keeps me going! My muse has returned in full force and I have gotten the ball rolling on the start of the next few chapters. Should be updating fairly regularly throughout the next few days- I have the upcoming weekend off!

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><p>"Oh good Godric you've slept with him." Ginny deduced as Hermione tumbled through the Floo. The brunette simply scowled at her redheaded friend and straightened the blouse she was wearing, taking care to make sure the little bites along her collarbone were covered. Theodore hadn't been exactly too scrupulous with his markings. "You reek of…utterly barbaric and sweltering baby making practice."<p>

"You have such a way with words, Gin." Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the blush creeping up her neck. "And be nice, he'll be-"

The Floo cut her off and Theodore stepped out as if he had been traveling by fireplace all his life. He brushed the tiniest bit of soot from his left sleeve and then put on an amicable smile for Ginny.

"Mrs. Potter." He took a hand in his and kissed the back of it. Ginny looked over at Hermione, swooning, and pressed her free hand to her chest.

"I'm going to need you to give Harry some lessons." Ginny tittered, pulling her hand from Theodore's introduction and hitting Hermione in the arm. "Woman! We need to talk."

"I'm so sorry, she's normal, I swear." Hermione apologized profusely to Theodore, who shrugged and let his hands wander into his front pockets slowly. He followed the two women from the sitting room into the kitchen, where he stopped short in his tracks at the sight of the table full of children.

"Aunt Hermione!" Three voices chorused together and James, Albus, and Teddy attacked her legs, locking her in their embraces as Lily clambered down from her seat, her mouth clenched firmly around a piece of syrupy waffle as she reached up for Hermione. Scorpius remained at the table, taking the opportunity to steal half of a waffle from Albus' plate.

"Put that back, Scorpius Hyperion, or else you'll miss the next breakfast." Hermione scolded as she layered kisses all over Lily's face and took a bite of the girl's offered waffle. "When you're finished with your food, I have someone I want you to meet." At this the blond boy looked over and his face lit up at the sight of Theodore standing behind his mother. He abandoned the stolen waffle and jumped down from his seat, crossing the kitchen in a few short strides. Hermione watched, intrigued, as Scorpius approached Theodore, who looked to Hermione in a panic.

She offered no help and soon the boy was directly in front of the man, one arm extended authoritatively.

"I'm Scorpius." He announced definitively, his small hand steady as he waited for Theodore's reply. The man cleared his throat and then reached down, enveloping the blond's entire hand in one of his.

"I'm Theo."

* * *

><p>"He's a little stiff, isn't he?" Ginny observed as she absentmindedly dried a frying pan, Hermione still washing dishes behind her in the sink. Outside Harry, Theodore, and George all stood under the treehouse, watching as the children frolicked off all the sugar ingested during breakfast. "Seems nice enough. Couldn't keep his eyes off Scorpius, either."<p>

"I think that's because he's expecting Scorpius to start spouting off Draco-esque language any moment." Hermione snorted. She finished the last of the dishes and drained the sink, running the washcloth over the countertops. "He's incredibly old fashioned, Ginny. He doesn't call this dating- he calls it courting."

"Goodness." Ginny murmured, never once taking her eyes off the new addition to the lineup in her yard.

"And he has this way of talking that feels so…antiquated but it's just…it's so…" Hermione sighed, struggling to find the correct word. "Precise."

"He speaks?" Ginny joked. "I don't think he said a single word other than introducing himself to me and Scorpius."

"Well yes, but with all the children and Harry and George…and you. I mean, it would take an extreme extrovert to get a word in edgewise with that kind of crowd."

"True. But he's just…rather charming in general." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and leaned a hip against the table. "Despite his lack of words, he kind of exudes a very relaxing aura."

"Aura?" Hermione whipped her head over her shoulder, looking at the redhead as if she had sprouted another eyeball. "Don't tell me you've gotten caught up in that Divination bullshit."

"Of course not, I'm not Lavender." Ginny rolled her eyes but kept staring out at the yard. "But he is nice. I approve."

"Speaking of Lavender…" Hermione folded the washcloth and threw it in the sink. "How's that wedding coming along?"

"Mum has asked to look after the twins more in the last two weeks than ever before." Ginny revealed. "She thinks that if she has the boys, she doesn't have to help him plan anything. She's kind of shut Lavender out, and I feel awful for the girl really, but who in their right mind would put me in a princess pink bridesmaid gown? I mean honestly. I have red hair! Pink is not in my color palette and Lavender knows that."

"You Weasley women have the weirdest sense of rationalization." Hermione shoved Ginny's arm teasingly, heading for the door out to the yard.

* * *

><p>"So." George started, both eyes trained on the new man in the yard. "Hermione."<p>

"What about her?" Theodore asked calmly, his gaze trailing after Scorpius as the blond boy raced around the lawn.

"What are your intentions?"

"Intentions?" Theodore repeated dumbly, giving the ginger man a weird look. "What do you mean?"

"Dating, screwing, using, planning on getting engaged, marrying, raising children?" George listed as he pretended to examine his cuticles. Theodore visibly balked, leaning away from the Weasley. Harry chuckled and came to the former Slytherin's rescue.

"Easy George. No reason to scare the poor bastard off after one small breakfast gathering." Harry clapped a hand on Theodore's shoulder. "Besides, he knows the repercussions."

"Repercussions?" Theodore didn't like the way he sounded, bleating words out like a lost lamb as he stood between the two Gryffindors.

"Well, if you break her heart, we get to break your legs." Harry frowned. "Didn't you read the fine print?"

"Now who's scaring him?" George teased. "Ease up there Teddy boy. Bark is worse than the bite with us, I can assure you of that."

"I cannot put too much stock into those words, I distinctly remember The Chosen One's wandwork from school." Theodore said, an eyebrow raised in Harry's direction. "Besides, I would like to think that if I was such an idiot as to muck this up, Hermione herself could do me in proper before either of you two could get a hand on me."

"He's a smart one, Harry."

"Right you are, George." Harry nodded. "Although I suppose I should give you fair warning. Ron's getting married next month. I highly doubt he'll be pleased to see you there."

"And I should be concerned for what reason?"

"Well, let's just say that my brother, the intelligent being that he is, has decided to try and move on with this Lavender broad, but is still ridiculously and totally hung up on Hermione." George offered flatly, one arm reaching down to swing Lily up onto his shoulders, the little girl giggling wildly. "He won't take kindly to a mate of Malfoy's showing up."

"Even if I happen to be what makes her happy at the moment?" Theodore asked, sounding very assured of himself. Harry rocked back on his heels.

"Well, therein lies the problem." Harry eyed the door of the kitchen as it opened, the two women crossing the yard. "He still thinks he has the best shot."

"Oh."

"And that Hermione will have a moment of clarity, or whatever, and voice her objection at the ceremony."

"Like I said, he's intelligent." George snorted, rolling his eyes, before taking off across the yard at a half sprint, Lily shrieking above his head while he roared and chased down the boys.

"If you want to avoid the fifth degree from my wife about all aspects of your budding relationship, I highly suggest you become a big fan of Tag." Harry nodded towards the children and George, who were all running around wildly as George attempted to reach out and catch one of the kids to declare them 'It'. There was a quick moment of hesitation as Theodore thought and then with a sigh he held still, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions Ginny was no doubt ready to fire at him.

"So, Theo." He turned to the redheaded woman, hoping his anxiousness was hidden well. "What exactly do you plan to do with our dear Hermione?"

* * *

><p>"The Potters are…an interesting couple." Theodore admitted as he followed Hermione into her house. Scorpius was dead asleep in her arms, his head smashed comfortably against her shoulder as she carried him. Hermione smiled over Scorpius' head and shifted his weight. Theodore cleared his throat awkwardly. "Would you like for me to carry him?"<p>

"Actually yes." She seemed relieved that he offered and began to pass the sleeping boy over to Theodore, who was unsure of where to begin. "He'll adjust, just…"

She seemed to pour the boy into his arms and, as she had previously stated, Scorpius shifted once or twice and finally let his head fall forward and to the side, his cheek resting right below Theodore's left collarbone. The man had one arm around the child's back and the other tucked under his knees.

"His bedroom is upstairs, second door on the left. If you don't mind. I'll be up in a moment to tuck him in and all that."

Hermione busied herself with straightening the kitchen for a minute or two, making sure all the dishes were put away before she turned her attention to the living room. She refolded the blanket and draped it over the arm of the couch, casting a fond look at the spot on the floor where her rendezvous had turned amorous the evening prior. She touched her hand to her cheek, an uncharacteristic girlish giggle escaping past her lips before she shook her head and headed for the stairs.

"…like your father. He was a riot when he was your age. Always traumatized the cat and such. He insisted on being the boss for every game. We all listened. He may have been the youngest of us all but…he was commanding." There was a forlorn sigh and Hermione braved a glance around the doorframe of Scorpius' room. The blond boy was laid out on his bed, still fast asleep, shoes and socks removed and his jacket hanging from the end of his bed. Theodore was perched gingerly on the edge of the bed, his face relaxed as he spoke fondly of Draco. "I imagine you will grow up to be much like him. Maybe not exactly like him, and I can only hope that will be the case, but I can see you commanding some squad of absolutely hopeless schoolmates." At this he leaned down, close to the boy's head, and began to whisper. "Although if those Potter boys are not among your loyal following then I shall have to teach you ways to remedy such a situation."

Hermione couldn't help herself and let another small laugh burst forth, giving away her hiding spot and startling Theodore. He very nearly leapt off the side of the bed, smoothing the front of his slacks with nervous hands.

"How much-"

"Just the part where you threatened to tell him how to get the Potters to play nicely." Hermione teased, entering the room with her arms folded over her chest. He swore under his breath, going back to staring at the slumbering Scorpius. She stood next to the tall man, their sides barely brushing. "I think it's sweet."

"What is?"

"You, talking to him while he's sleeping." Hermione allowed herself to lean into Theodore a little before pulling away, taking a heavy seat on the side of Scorpius' bed. "Did you take off his shoes?"

"Yes. I was just trying to remember what my mother did for me, and it was the first thing to come to mind." He admitted almost sheepishly, looking extraordinarily out of place in the bedroom decorated for the almost eight year old boy. Hermione offered him a comforting smile.

"Well, you did a fine job." She rubbed her hand in long patterns against Scorpius' back, reaching with her free hand for the drawers of the small table beside the bed for the boy's pajamas. Within minutes the boy was awake, but only just, and complying with Hermione's soft whispers to change clothes. Bleary eyed, Scorpius looked around for a moment or two and positively lit up when his eyes landed on Theodore.

"Mr. Theo!" Scorpius wiggled his way out of Hermione's reach, tugging on the bottom of his pajama top as he raced across the room towards the tall man. "You're still here! Did you stay for Mummy?"

"I…well, I suppose I did." He nodded to affirm his answer.

"Did Mummy tell you that I said you should come for ice cream? You remember! That day, when you saw me, with the ice cream! Do you like chocolate?" The boy was pulling lightly on Theodore's arm, not hard enough to truly be a bother but simply to remind Theodore where he was.

"To be honest I am more of a fan of coffee or vanilla."

"You're just like Mummy." Scorpius lifted a hand to his mouth to whisper. "She likes the yucky flavors." Theodore let out a solid laugh as Scorpius turned to face Hermione. "Can we watch a movie, Mummy?"

"Darling, it's already past your bedtime." Hermione said, knowing that the pouting routine was soon to come along.

"But Mummy! Mr. Theo's here and he's never seen my favorite movie! Have you? Have you seen it?"

"Scorpius."

"Mummy!" Scorpius' little mouth turned down in a practiced pout and his eyes seemed to suddenly be too large for his face. "Please?"

"It's late, Scor, it's time to go to bed. We stayed at the Potters' all day." Theodore watched the exchange between mother and son for a few moments, still extremely out of place. The tiny argument escalated into Scorpius whining loudly and Hermione becoming quite firm, their spat interrupted by the sudden explosion of the light bulbs in the ceiling overhead.

"Fucking hell!" Theodore couldn't help the obscenity as it slipped past his lips, surprised by the sharp pops above him. Hermione and Scorpius fell silent immediately and it became obvious to Theodore that this wasn't the first occurrence.

"It's time for bed." Hermione said with a note of finality. Scorpius nodded and turned to Theodore, defeated. Scorpius walked back over and leaned his head into Theodore's side, his arms wrapping around the man's waist for a moment.

"Goodnight Mr. Theo." Uncertain of what to do, Theodore patted the child's back a few times until he was released from the hug.

"Goodnight." Theodore took that as his cue to leave, slipping out of the boy's bedroom and waiting at the top of the steps for Hermione, who emerged a couple of minutes later.

Together they walked downstairs, the events of the day finally catching up to Theodore. He stifled a yawn and turned to Hermione as they approached the kitchen.

"You look exhausted." She laughed, sliding past him towards the stove, where she immediately set about making preparations for tea. "It's not even nine yet!"

"Hermione, you had me at the Potters' house all day, with children. My fragile personality is not used to being exposed to such a rigorous beating."

"You're an awful liar." She shook her head and leaned back against the counter, waiting for the kettle. "I hope it wasn't too much."

"I have survived worse, I promise." Theodore grinned, coming to stand beside her, his hip settling next to hers. "But it was an adventure, I can tell you that much."

"He was so excited you stayed. I've never seen him light up like that." She cast a meaningful glance up towards Scorpius' bedroom. Theodore made a noise of agreement in the back of his throat as the kettle let out a low whistle.

Cups of tea were poured silently, the first few sips passing in the same quietness. Finally Hermione sighed, fiddling with the handle of her cup.

"Theo?"

"Yes?"

"They told you about the wedding, didn't they?" Her voice got smaller and smaller with each word. Theodore straightened up, still leaning against the counter, and set his cup down off to the side. "If you don't…I mean, I would like for you…but if you don't want to go because of…of who it is, and my history with him, I understand."

"Hermione." She turned her head towards him to find him smiling gently and she didn't fight the urge to smile back. "I do not plan to make you sit through that alone."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please review and let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Whew! This was a bear of a chapter to whittle down! My original draft was damned close to 4000 words! I think I got the parts I wanted to in, so, hopefully you lovelies will leave me some feedback and let me know. And may I just say...You guys ROCK OUT SO HARD with your reviews and follows and favorites! I love all of you for the support, you make my day! I can't wait for you to read more, just as you all say you can't wait to read more, and so without further ado, the next installment!

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><p>The backyard of the Burrow was once again playing host to a wedding. Pink streamers blew in the cooling autumn breeze, a wild chatter of endless conversation drowning out the hired quartet. Hermione allowed herself to cling tightly to Theodore's hand for a moment or two before she caught her breath from the Apparition. Scorpius was off like a shot, making a beeline for James and Albus, who were trying to be discreet as they purveyed the gift table.<p>

"If you ever wish to leave, all you have to do is say so." Theodore whispered in her ear, his fingers finding their way through hers as his hand brought the joined limbs up to his mouth. He kissed the back of her hand and gave his one last squeeze before letting their hands fall free. She simply smiled up at him, grateful, and then waved at an amber skinned girl Theodore vaguely recognized.

He dutifully followed her through the crowd, staying a respectable distance behind her at her left heel, only interjecting himself into a conversation when he was properly introduced. Hermione still couldn't believe he had agreed to come despite being the only known Slytherin in attendance. It was only when they reached the small clan of joined Weasleys that Theodore let out a breath that Hermione didn't know he had been holding.

"I forgot how many people one person could know in a lifetime, but thank you for the exhausting reminder." He let a hand find her waist as they melded into the Weasley circle. Bill and Charlie shook hands with him, the oldest Weasley immediately launching into a discussion about Theodore's latest case, in which the former Slytherin had brought on Bill for assistance with backtracking curses.

"Hermione, you look amazing." Audrey Weasley gushed as she kissed the air above Hermione's right cheek. Hermione blushed and smoothed down her dress, a drape of brilliant aubergine that started on one shoulder, pinned delicately with a silver brooch, and cascaded in waves to the ground. Hermione noticed the girls standing beside Audrey, their hair done up in bows. "You remember Molly and Lucy?"

"Of course!" She hugged each girl in turn and was pulled up by George into a very enthusiastic hug. "George!"

"Hermione!" He swung her around twice and then set her back on the ground, looking over her shoulder at Theodore, who was carefully regarding the redhead. "No worries Teddy boy, she's back on solid ground, fit as a fiddle!"

"You've been drinking."

"Always were a bright one, my dearest." George winked at her and produced a flask from his pocket, offering it to her. She held up a hand to decline. "More for me then!"

"If you don't stop that!" Angelina Weasley gave her husband a good whack on the shoulder with her silver clutch purse, adding another sound smack for good measure. "I'm terribly sorry Hermione. My good husband has lost his damned mind."

"My wicked wife. Can't understand how excited I am to see this catastrophe of a wedding-"

"George!"

"-at least done us all a favor and-"

"If you ladies would excuse us." It was, surprisingly, Theodore, who came to the rescue, gripping one arm of George's and twisting it behind his back. The redhead was promptly towed off to a quiet corner of the gathering.

"He's a right blockhead, that man." Angelina huffed as she settled her hands on her waist. She then turned to Hermione with a bright smile. "Where's your angel? I haven't seen him in forever!"

"You just babysat a month ago!" Hermione laughed. "And he should be around here somewhere, he darted off with James and Albus."

"No doubt my Freddie will be right there with them. Lot of terrors, they are. Too many Weasley genes floating around." Angelina laughed, stopping short when George returned to the circle, looking rightly humbled. He said something under his breath to Angelina and she gave a shocked look to Theodore, who merely nodded.

"What on earth did you say to him?" Hermione asked, arm tucked nicely into Theodore's as they started towards the rows of white chairs bound with pink bows. She gazed around the thick crowd, searching for Scorpius, and smiled when he sprinted past shrieking with delight. He held a wind catcher in his left hand, his right outstretched for Victoire as he and Albus chased after Bill's blonde daughters. When she called his name he turned to her, laughing, and abandoned his game to join his mother.

"I simply told him that he was not honoring Ronald's wishes, however moronic, and that I highly doubted his late brother would have respected the scene he was moments away from making." Theodore answered calmly, green eyes still trying to find a place to sit. He pointed to a row in the middle of the right side of the seating area, where five chairs were still open. Hermione nodded, her free hand pushing back Scorpius' hair into its proper place. "And then I suggested he apologize to Angelina and fetch her a glass of water, as well as a parasol or something for shade, because a bright sun regardless of season could do serious harm to a pregnant woman."

"What?!" Hermione barely contained her screech as they moved through the rows of chairs. Theodore smiled his sly grin and sat down, arm settling around the back of Hermione's seat while Scorpius clambered around his mother's legs to get to the other side of Theodore. "How in the world did you figure that out?"

"It is rather obvious, if you look at her properly." Theodore whispered. "She has that glow, it does something to her face when she smiles. And watch her hands. She continuously lets them hover around her midsection. The only women I have seen do that are usually with child."

"You're…" Hermione shook her head after observing Angelina for a minute or two. "You're insanely good at reading people."

"All I do, my dear, is pay attention." He pressed another kiss into her hair, right above her ear, and then turned to Scorpius and took turns blowing against the shiny pink wind catcher the boy had stolen from the gift table.

* * *

><p>"-hereby pronounce you, to the world, man and wife!" A cheer erupted from the crowd as Ron bent to meet Lavender's lips with his own, the two breaking with a laugh before they hugged and began their walk back down the aisle. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch, even with the very long and almost awkward pause when the Minister of Magic had called for objectors. It was during that moment, the one that George and Harry had told Theodore about, that he reached for Hermione's hand and found it en route to his already. He folded his fingers over hers and let their joined hands rest heavily on his thigh, setting his jaw to keep from grinning too widely.<p>

Now, the music had been amplified and was much louder than before, almost deafening, as hundreds of people pushed themselves into the tent Arthur had once again rigged. Hermione found her seat with Theodore at a garishly decorated table, large pink flowers floating above the heads of the guests as they laughed and drank over dinner. Around them the rest of the Weasley family took their places and it made Hermione's heart swell that Lavender, even though she knew she would probably play second fiddle to Hermione in Ron's mind, still had put her at the table with the family. Theodore and Bill once again found themselves immersed in work talk, even dragging Charlie into the mix as he tried to catch the attention of one of Lavender's friends. Percy and George were sharing a laugh over hefty glasses of champagne, tears streaking both men's faces as they shook with mirth. Audrey, Fleur, Hermione, and Angelina were chattering loudly over the men and the music, squealing with joy when Angelina confirmed her condition with a small nod. The children, all thirteen of them, were under the watchful eye of Gabrielle, Fleur's younger sister, who had been volunteered by her sister as a wedding gift of sorts. Hermione felt sorry for the poor girl, but saw that Gabrielle seemed to enjoy the job, and was actually glad to not have to worry about Scorpius for the reception.

As the plates from dinner began to disappear, spoons were clinked noisily against champagne flutes as the crowd called for a kiss and speeches. Ron blushed but acquiesced the small mob, planting a deep smooch on his bride, who returned the favor with gusto. Hermione laughed along with everyone else, leaning back into Theodore a little bit as she clapped and raised a glass in a toast.

"Alright everyone." Harry stood from his chair, a tap of his wand to his throat throwing his voice around the tent. "It's about that time."

"Oh bloody hell Harry, leave my dignity in tact!" Ron hollered at his best man, one arm draped over Lavender's shoulders. Harry pointed a finger at him and shook his head.

"Not the slightest chance, you rotten ginger bastard!" Harry laughed. "As you all well know, Ronald Bilius here has had the misfortune of being one of my best friends for…damn, Ron, how many years?"

"Too damned many!"

"Fair point! If we count by times I was nearly murdered that makes it…close to eighteen years." At this the crowd gave a small giggle and Hermione smiled at the bit of dark humor. "Ron was, and is, without a doubt my rally point. He always had the right thing to say. It may not have been at the best time-" Another bit of good natured laughter broke out. "-but it always came around in the end. He's as strong a man as anyone I know, and a good one to boot. We gave him shit, sorry Gin, I mean hell, for being thick in the head every now and then but…I wouldn't trade your blundering redheaded stubbornness for anything. You're my best mate, Ron, and it was beyond my honor to be your best man today. Cheers!"

A polite round of applause broke out in the crowd and Hermione had to smile too hard to keep her tears from spilling down her face and ruining her make up. Harry gestured to the raven haired girl on Lavender's right and she stood, launching into her maid of honor speech.

"Lavender." Parvati Patil let out a shaky breath. "Merlin I'm nervous. How'd you do this Harry?" The dark haired man held up an empty glass of champagne and Parvati nodded, polishing off her own glass with a determined nod. "Much better! Lavender…you've been…you've always been the sister I never had. Goodness knows we drove each other insane, especially Fifth Year, if you remember-" Here Lavender gasped and buried her head in her hands, her face a deep scarlet. "-and you do, wonderful! Let's just say that this union today is a thirteen years long admiration finally fulfilled. You have been my shoulder to cry on and Circe knows I've been yours, thank you Ronald!"

"Always my fault, isn't it?" Ron grumbled from his seat, shaking his head as Lavender kissed his cheek.

"But you two always had it in you. There were ups and downs, distractions, fights, good heavens the fights, breaks, reunions, fights, tears, make ups, fights, some mild curses, did I mention the fights? But look at you now." Parvati gestured to the two of them, her lower lip trembling. "You…you did it, Lav. And I know you'll make it. No matter what. Congratulations, sister. I love you, both of you. Cheers!"

Another round of applause and some cheering went up. Hermione sighed as Parvati took her seat again. The music resumed and soon some of the tables had been vanished, making room for a portable dance floor that was quickly filled.

"I believe it's about that time. Gents, ladies." George was the first to stand, pulling Angelina from her chair and onto the dance floor. Audrey yanked Percy up next and Fleur returned from checking in with Gabrielle to coerce Bill into a dance. Charlie drummed his fingers on the table, eyes locked on a petite brunette chitchatting with Lavender, waiting for the right instant.

Hermione jumped a little when Theodore cleared his throat close to her ear, her eyes torn from watching the dancers to find that he had a hand unfolded in her direction.

"Shall we?"

"I'm a horrendous dancer, I should warn you."

"My darling, with me, no one is a bad dancer." Theodore assured her, pulling her from the chair and whisking her towards the already crowded space. She touched her wand where it was strapped to her leg and whispered an Extension Charm, clearing a little more room in the tent as they took the floor.

He spun her nearly expertly out and then in, suddenly, an arm firmly around her waist and the other holding her hand out to the side. She laughed, breathless, and allowed him to tug her slightly closer, their bodies swaying to the slow waltz the quartet had begun.

"This isn't so bad." Hermione admitted as they spun on the spot, the dance floor still crowded. Theodore laughed and stole a kiss at the corner of her lips, keeping perfect time as the waltz ended and a lively folk song started up. Hermione recognized it from Bill and Fleur's wedding and joyfully clapped her hands, looking around the tent for Harry. The dark haired man suddenly appeared at her side, shooting Theodore an apologetic glance.

"Sorry Theo, but this is our dance." Harry said, playfully knocking Theodore to the side with one hip as he grabbed Hermione and took off in a jumpy sort of dance.

"Let's show those two how it's properly done, you handsome devil." Theodore barely had time to register that it was Ginny grabbing his hands and then they were off, laughing and spinning and twisting around the dance floor in a chase. The small woman was lighter on her feet than Hermione but not as focused, as she was intent on catching Harry, but she kept time well enough for Theodore to understand the basics of the silly looking dance. As the quartet began the last few measures of music and blended them into a slightly slower paced dance tune, Theodore turned, expecting to retake Hermione as a partner.

"Do you mind?" Ron asked, one hand extended for Hermione. She looked back and forth from the groom to her date, who just set his lips in a line and nodded. His green eyes sought out hers and she smiled a little to reassure him. "Thanks."

"Of course." Theodore bowed his head an inch or two and backed off the dance floor, breaking into a laugh when Ginny once again forced him into being her partner as Harry had been stolen by his mother-in-law.

"I'm…Well, I don't very well know what to say." Ron admitted as he fitted one hand to Hermione's, the other resting courteously on her waist. "I'm glad you came."

"So am I." Hermione cast a look at the bride, who was dancing with Arthur. "She looks happy. As do you. I'm glad for you, Ron."

"Are you?"

"Very." Hermione nodded firmly. She looked up at him, not surprised by the gentleness in his blue eyes. "She's what you need. Not me. She'll make you a good wife, Ron, and she can make you happy. That's what I want. I want you to be happy." It hurt to say it, still, and Hermione fought the traitorous tears welling in her throat.

"I think…It won't bloody well be easy." Ron laughed thickly, his hand clenching on hers tightly. "But eventually…You'll be right." Ron sighed and rested his forehead against Hermione's. She closed her eyes. "I love you, you know."

"I love you too." Hermione smiled, the softest smile she had ever smiled in her life, and kissed his cheek. "But I can't be in love with you anymore. Lavender can."

"Are you…With him, are you happy?" Ron asked quietly. "I see how he looks at you sometimes. It's damn near worshipping."

"Yes, he does…He brings out something in me I haven't felt in a while." Hermione answered truthfully. Her eyes flickered to where Theodore and Ginny were dancing, the woman laughing with her head thrown back as Theodore's eyes danced with the familiar light Hermione knew they kept when he had been drinking.

"We'll be okay." Ron said suddenly, breaking her stare. "Lav and I, I mean. We'll make it." He was grinning at the blonde bride over Hermione's head. Hermione hugged Ron tightly, her face pressed into his chest as his cheek rested on top of her head.

"We all will."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Okay so one of the things that I have never addressed so far in this story is the disease that affected Draco. Well, I finally came up with something that I think can explain it. This is just a basic and very superficial look at the problem and I will probably develop it further, but until then I hope this suffices. Also, just a side note, I had to create a timeline for myself while working to keep all those crazy Weasley/Potter offspring in check! I wanted to write about a bigger Potter brood but geez, these little kid OCs can be hard to keep track of. Hopefully I did well enough. This chapter starts about two and a half years after the end of the last so...I know that's a lot of time to skip out on, but I felt it necessary. I may go back later and do snapshots of all the missing time from everyone's perspectives.  
>As always thanks for reading and please let me know what you think of my work!<p>

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><p>"MUM!" Scorpius' roar filled the entire house, making Hermione bolt upright. Theodore jumped as well, his glasses torn from his face in a hurry as he followed Hermione up the steps. They threw open the door to Scorpius' room, both adults frozen at the sight of the boy inside.<p>

"Oh sweet Merlin." Theodore gasped, watching as Scorpius held out his hands towards Hermione, who had clapped both hands to her mouth to cover a horrified scream. He crossed the room before the brunette woman, taking the boy's wrists in his grasp and turning them over and over. With a grim expression he looked over his shoulder at Hermione.

"What's happening?" Scorpius whimpered, his entire body shaking as his hands continued to wither. The skin around his fingers had tightened close in to the bones, his veins prominently displayed over the backs of his hands. His palms were sheet white, as if all the blood had been drained from them.

"It is the same condition." Theodore said quietly to Hermione, who had collapsed against the doorframe of Scorpius' bedroom. She was visibly shaking with the effort it took to not burst into tears, and at Theodore's words her mind flashed back to the night Scorpius had been dropped at her door.

_Pale skin stretched too thin over exaggerated cheekbones. Skeletal fingers had gripped her shoulder. Sunken eyes pleaded with her. Death rolled over the frail body before her in astounding waves._

"What's happening to me?!" Scorpius was close to wailing now. Theodore wasted no more time and scooped the boy up, walking out of the room and down to the fireplace. "Mum! Mum! Mummy, please!"

"Nott Manor!" The fireplace swirled green for a moment and the world twisted around them, a pale armed stretched out towards the evaporating image of Hermione.

Several hours later found the trio exhausted, mentally and physically, and left the two adults wondering where in the hell this had come from.

"You will tell me what you've been keeping from me for the last ten years, Theodore Sabastian, or so help me, I will curse you from here to kingdom come." Hermione ground out through a set jaw as she brushed her hand over Scorpius' hair. The almost-eleven year old was fast asleep on the couch in Theodore's study, his hands restored to the healthy limbs they normally were. "I know you know something, and I have kept my curiosity at bay for as long as I can, but I'll be damned if I have to watch my son go through that again without knowing what the hell is going on."

"It is…" Hermione watched as Theodore seemed to suddenly age tens of dozens of years, a glass of expensive gin dangling from his fingertips as he sat in the high backed leather chair behind the exquisite granite desk. His eyes darted around nervously, as if searching for an escape. "It is an ancient curse. A blood curse. A spell bent and twisted from revenge and darkened by those intent on using it for the worst pain possible. It was a favorite of Bellatrix, and she passed it on to her Master."

"And Voldemort used it on Draco?"

"On all the Malfoys." Theodore let out a hefty sigh. "It began with Lucius, when he first fell from favor after he initially refused to house the Dark Lord. Once Draco failed in his task, the Dark Lord saw fit to ensure that all future lines of any Malfoy blood carried the curse. It will appear in any relative of the Malfoy bloodline. I had hoped Scorpius would not manifest the curse this early in his life. It attacks a wizard or witch's ability to healthily replenish blood. It prevents proper flow and oxygenation. Draco could deplete the stock of Blood Replenishing potions at St. Mungo's in a month. By the time Astoria passed, he was refusing to drink the potions until it was absolutely necessary. You saw his final condition, and that was after I had force fed him four entire bottles of the potion."

"And…and there's no cure?" Hermione whispered as she held her hand to the side of Scorpius' face. Theodore shook his head.

"I am sorry, Hermione. I thought that maybe, perhaps, in the same manner that Potter managed to defeat the Dark Lord through love all those years ago, your love for the boy would have been enough to save him." He closed his eyes and sank further into his seat. "It appears I was foolish." His eyes opened again and Hermione was shocked to see a thin layer of tears masking the anger over the bright green orbs. "I am sorry. I should have…I should have been more realistic. I should have never withheld this from you. I should have…I should have been honest and I am so…so fucking sorry."

"Theo, it's not-"

"It is my fault!" He cried, flying to his feet. The glass of gin crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. Hermione's hand curled around the back of Scorpius' head protectively but the boy slumbered on. "If I had told you…If I had not been so stupid and believed in...in a goddamned fairytale then I could have prevented this! I could have stopped this from happening to him, to you." He fell backwards into his seat. "To us."

A tense silence passed between the two adults. The study was slowly darkening as the sun fell behind the large windows that illuminated the room, casting shadows that Hermione thought were reaching for all three of the people in the room. When the first shadow touched her foot she visibly shivered, unsettled, and ran her hand through Scorpius' hair one more time.

"Hermione." Theodore moved to sit behind her on the couch, his arms winding around her middle like a soft cage. She leaned back into the warmth he flooded her with, one of her arms covering his as his chin settled on her shoulder. "I am sorry. For keeping this from you. When you came back into my life, you were so different from the woman who had first come here with Potter. You were whole, with Scorpius, and I could not bring myself to ruin the bubble of bliss your life had finally become. But I should have. I should have told you from the start but-"

"Theo, please." Hermione murmured, lifting one of his hands to her mouth. She continued whispering against his fingers. "I appreciate the fact that you care that much. I do. Just as I appreciate you being honest now, even if I had to threaten it out of you. And today, when he first called for me, and I just stood there, like an idiot…you didn't. You got to him first, and you knew what to do. If you hadn't known about the curse, he could probably be dead. Does it make me a little upset that you didn't tell me right off the bat? Of course it does. But what's important is that you did know what to do, and you did it."

"I wish I had told you sooner." He grumbled against her shoulder. She sighed and turned her head to kiss his cheek. "But I have learned my lesson."

"Have you?"

"Yes." His arms tightened just the slightest bit around her waist before shifting her so they were almost face to face. His hands came to frame her face, his fingers brushing a few unruly curls that had escaped from her ponytail back behind her ears. His thumbs ran lines from the corners of her lips across her cheekbones, his mouth pressing against her forehead before he pulled back. His eyes bored down on hers, unwavering.

Hermione felt her throat close up for a moment as Theodore stared at her while he took a deep breath. She had only had a moment like this once before, years ago in the Chamber of Secrets with Ron as the battle waged around them. She knew what was coming. She knew what he was thinking. She knew, and a part of her wanted to pull away, to retreat from the intensity of the man sitting in front of her.

But the way he was cradling her face, firm yet not harsh, and the way his eyes seemed to shimmer seven different shades of green when he looked at her, and the flood of memories stored in her brain from the last three years with the former Slytherin quickly forced that irrational part of her mind to shut the hell up and listen.

"I love you, Hermione."

* * *

><p>"Have you given this any thought?"<p>

"Of course I have. I am not an idiot, regardless of what you and that husband of yours think."

"Then you should know that she would never wear a thing like that in her life. Ever. Trust me. I've been her best friend for like, twenty years or something. And she'd call that gaudy."

"Gaudy? Has she no taste?"

"Clearly, if she's dating you." Shoulders were bumped playfully as Ginny leaned over her once again swollen stomach to peer at the display case Theodore was leaning on. "Bring out that tray, with the emeralds."

"Emeralds?"

"It suits you." Ginny shrugged and plucked a dark emerald encased in small diamonds from the center of the tray, sliding it onto her own finger to properly admire it. She tilted her head from left to right and sighed, putting the ring back in the tray. The dark haired man chuckled and picked out a smaller cut emerald framed by two complementary diamonds on either side. He handed it to Ginny and she once again put it on her finger. Another sigh let Theodore know that The Ring still was eluding them.

"How about rubies then?" Theodore nodded towards the case across the way and Ginny waddled over.

It took all of two glances for the redhead to decide that rubies were out of the question.

"Sapphires?"

Another no.

"Amethyst?"

Yet again Ginny shook her head no. Aquamarine, garnet, alexandrite, and topaz were shut down quickly as well. Theodore slumped against a display case, holding his head in his hands as he groaned his disappointment. He ran his hands over his face, his enthusiasm for the day slipping away from him, and he looked down through the glass his elbows were resting on.

And he slowly straightened, his hands falling to his sides as his eyes locked onto what he knew would be the perfect piece.

"Ginevra?" He called out to the redhead, who had been admiring diamond and sapphire necklaces. She put her play jewelry down and made her way to Theodore, her eyes following his finger as it pointed down into the case. She gasped, one hand clutching his sleeve tightly.

"Oh, Ted!" Her newest nickname for him slipped out in a shaky whisper as she gestured to the saleswoman to bring out the tray. Before the tray could even touch the counter she had the ring in her grasp, pinched delicately between her fingers, and she slid it onto her finger slowly.

"I am going to hazard a guess, based on the tears, that this is the one?" Theodore smiled as he discreetly passed a bag full of Galleons to the woman behind the counter, who shuffled through the coins until she had the correct amount.

"It's perfect." Ginny wrapped the tall man in a fierce hug, her protruding stomach proving a difficult obstacle.

And as he held the small box in his hand while he slipped it into his pocket, he knew it was.

* * *

><p>"So what did my boyfriend steal your wife for?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowed at Harry while the dark haired man adjusted the tiny trousers around Remus' chubby waist. The five year old was sputtering at his father indignantly, his arms outstretched for his nearly identical twin who stood on the other side of the kitchen. Harry finished his job and then leaned back in his seat, pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger.<p>

"You want the truth or the lie I'm supposed to tell you?"

"The truth, obviously."

"Gin told Theo what the baby was. And now they're shopping for it. I can't know, apparently." Harry huffed. "As if the sixth one is going to send me into a spiral if it isn't what I want." He sighed then, watching as the twins raced around the kitchen.

"Aren't you excited?"

"Of course. Gin could birth kittens and I'd be happy." Harry rolled his eyes. "But I don't know why the sixth child is the one that I'm forced to sit in the corner for."

"Well, maybe she just wants this one for herself for a bit."

"She gets it for nine months!" Harry pouted. Hermione couldn't help thinking her best friend was adorable when he wasn't getting his way. "I just want to know what color the nursery needs to be redone in."

"Maybe she'll have Theo do it." Hermione teased.

"Not funny." Harry glared at her and, without looking, covered a corner of the table with his hand before Romulus' head could make contact. She laughed.

"So what was the lie?" She took a sip of her water, looking out over the yard as it sat, undisturbed by children, for one afternoon. George had taken it up himself to surprise Albus, Scorpius, and Lily with a visit with his daughter Roxanne and Ron's daughter Violet, both of whom had just turned four. The group had gone off a while ago for ice cream while Harry attempted to get his twin sons to take a nap. The napping plan was not going well, as evidenced by Remus' shrieks of joy and Romulus' grinning visage as they ran circles in the kitchen.

"Gin made up some huge thing about Theo wanting to go look at rings, said she wanted to get your hopes up." It was Harry's turn to tease and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. His face turned serious for a moment. "It has been close to four years. And he's so good with Scorpius, even with the boy's condition. Can you believe he and Al start Hogwarts this year? Just six more weeks."

"Oh Circe don't remind me." Hermione groaned. "Theo bought him Never Ending Notebooks for his birthday and I though the child was going to go insane."

"How has it been, with Scor, after finding out about his sickness? It's been what, six months?"

"Eight, actually. He was fussy about the potions for the first month but..." Hermione shrugged. "He understands. He acts better for Theo, of course. I still get a bit of the bratty side when I try to give him a potion but he takes it from Theo without batting an eyelash." Hermione harrumphed. Harry laughed heartily. "Shut your mouth Harry, all your children love you the most so you wouldn't know what it's like!"

"I do, actually." Harry pointed at Romulus, who had gotten oddly quiet while he stacked playing blocks in the doorway that led to the study. "That one prefers your Slytherin. He won't sleep in my lap but as soon as Theo shows up Rom is in his lap like a goddamned cat and goes right to sleep. Little backstabbing bastard."

"Theo or Rom?"

"Rom!" Harry cried. He shook his head. "I swear, if my son ends up in Slytherin because of Theo I'm going to strangle him."

"Oh, like all of your children will magically wind up in Gryffindor." Hermione snorted. "I'll bet Lily winds up in Slytherin."

"She will not." Harry replied instantly.

"Have you seen her 'please' face? That little girl was made for manipulation." Hermione reasoned. Harry rolled his eyes again, capturing Remus between his legs in a game of catch and release.

"As long as it isn't Hufflepuff." Harry finally groused. Hermione smiled. "At least Slytherins have some brains to them."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Whew. A lot to try and keep up with but...I think I'm managing. If you have any questions please let me know, and also let me know your thoughts!


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Once again I pulled a disappearing act and fell off the face of the earth for a couple of weeks. So sorry! I am back- I took a little vacation with my siblings and played around in the great city of Seattle for a week, but I am back on the East Coast and reunited with my computer. I loved the response to the last chapter! You all are SO wonderful and keep my fire fueled! Thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times, THANK YOU! Each and every one of you is responsible for my enthusiasm and you keep my muses happy too! Please enjoy this next installment!

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

A worried shuffle of tightly wrung hands accompanied the pacing feet on the white bathroom floor tiles, perfectly straight teeth toying with a plump bottom lip.

"No, absolutely not."

Fingers curled around a small stick of plastic, flipping it over frantically. A whimper filled the bathroom and another stick was overturned, followed by a third and a fourth in rapid succession. A hoarse and restrained scream of disbelief and frustration echoed throughout the tiled washroom.

"Oh, heavens, please…" The tip of a wand was turned in towards the body, glowing white for a moment or two before it changed to a golden hue.

This time the scream was real, unconfined, and it broke off into a hiccupping symphony of muted sobs. Desperately the wand glowed again, a silvery blue otter turning in playful circles around its conjurer.

"Fetch Ginny."

* * *

><p>"Four tests?"<p>

"And the wand."

"Well then." Ginny sighed and settled her hands on her hips, eyeing the brunette before her. "As much as I hate to sound like my own mother…" Her mouth twisted into a frown. "Weren't you using protection?"

"We are! We always do!" Hermione dragged a hand under her still running nose, her eyes watery and red from crying. "I don't know how this happened."

"Typically there's some form of sex involved."

"Shut it." Hermione glowered at her best friend. "I know _how_ it happened, but just not…how." Hermione finished lamely, examining her hands in earnest to keep from looking at the redhead. Ginny just sighed.

"All I can tell you is suit up." Ginny shrugged. "You're almost thirty three, time to face the music."

"I can't!" Hermione hissed. "Theo would-"

"Love to know why two women have barricaded themselves in his en suite." Theodore made his presence known, one hand loosening his tie from around his neck. Hermione visibly tensed, her body stiffening as she tried not to stare too hard at the counter littered with plastic pregnancy tests behind Ginny. Ginny, for all her worth, shifted just the slightest bit in order to better hide the evidence. The man frowned as he took in Hermione's appearance. "And why you have been crying."

"I should get back to Liv anyway." Ginny quickly made her escape, shooting Hermione a highly apologetic glance as she left the bathroom counter in full view. Hermione watched as Theodore said goodbye to the other woman and then turned back to the scene in the bathroom, his mouth poised for words when his eyes fell upon her dirty little secret. Hermione whimpered and sank further back against the tub, hiding her face in her hands.

His footfalls were heavy against the tiles as he entered the bathroom, his presence flooding the area like a thick fog. From behind the curtain of her fingers Hermione saw him turn over each and every test, just as she had, and didn't miss the way his shoulders drew back as he let a long exhale slide past his lips.

"I'm so sorry." Hermione whispered, shaking again with more tears. A silence filled her ears, bringing her tears more quickly while she waited for him to respond. She began to climb to her feet, unsteady and hesitant. Theodore turned suddenly, his hands taking his full weight as he leaned back against the counter. "I didn't…I'm sorry."

"For what?" He looked up, confused, his head tilted almost adorably to one side as he tried to figure out why she was apologizing. Hermione gestured to her midsection as an explanation and he shook his head, pushing off the counter towards her. She couldn't stop the automatic response of her body as it tensed, his arms winding around her waist comfortably. "The only thing you need to be sorry for, Hermione, is ruining my surprise with an even better one."

"Your surprise?" Her words were muffled by the expensive shirt he had worn to work, her nose assaulted by the scent of the cologne she knew he wore only for difficult cases. She pushed back, looking up at him through the small space between them. "You won the case?"

"Barely left the defense an opening for words." Theodore grinned widely. "But that was not my surprise."

"A surprise that's better than winning a case and finding out you knocked up your girlfriend in the same day?" His grin only grew bigger, if possible, and he reached down with his hands to grab her wrists gently. His thumbs stroked along her pulse points, proving to be a surefire method of calming Hermione even more.

"I had hoped, after this evening, that I could refer to you as my fiancée from now on." Theodore gave her a moment for the words to sink in and waited until after she had gasped and her heartbeat had skyrocketed. "I did have reservations at some ridiculously fancy restaurant in Italy but…after finding out about this, about you, and what we created…I just want to be with you." One hand dropped from hers and dug into his pocket, his forehead knocking gently against hers. His hand came up between their bodies, a small click signaling the opening of the box he had been carrying for nearly three weeks. "Marry me."

It wasn't a question, but neither was it a demand. It was a simple request, a gentle push in the next direction and it didn't hurt that within the box laid the most exquisite yet unassuming ring Hermione had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. It was a thin platinum band housing a dusting of miniscule diamonds along its center, and at the top of the band rested a beautifully marquise cut peridot gem. Her breath hitched in her throat, partly due to the ring but mainly because of the way his hand not holding the box of jewelry rested warmly against her stomach.

"We can do this. I promise."

"I know." She smiled through the volley of tears and nodded once, twice, three times in quick succession. With a breathy laugh he slipped the ring from the box and onto her proper finger, one hand holding her now adorned limb to his chest and the other slipping behind her head, pulling her in for a bruising yet celebratory kiss. He didn't mind the salty taste dancing across her lips from her crying episode and she smiled into his mouth when he lifted her suddenly into the air.

They celebrated for a few more minutes, Hermione's cheeks finally dry and Theodore's still flushed from the news, and then suddenly Hermione sobered, looking up at her fiancé with a strange expression.

"What is it?" His hands rubbed up and down her arms soothingly.

"Scorpius." She bit her lip. "He leaves for school in three weeks and this is a lot to drop on him right before his first year! I don't want to stress him out before he even gets to Hogwarts! He doesn't even know what House he'll be in and I'm going to throw a wedding and a sibling on him right before he goes-"

"Hermione." Theodore chuckled and pressed a finger to her lips. "I can ease your trouble a little bit."

She frowned at him, her expression deepening as he guided them to the edge of the tub and gestured for her to sit on the rim. He took her hands in his softly, thumbs brushing over the backs of her hands as he started to talk.

"Well, seeing as how your parents are a little…inaccessible, to say the least, it was only appropriate to ask the other important male figures in your life for their blessing." Theodore began in a low voice. "Arthur knew what I was asking the minute I showed up and made me take Veritaserum. Harry was much easier to convince, and all he did was give me a good spot of grief for waiting almost four years. But when I went to Scorpius, I suddenly found myself the most nervous. Arthur and Harry were like toddlers compared to your boy." He sighed. "When I took him to lunch two weeks ago, after Olivia was born and everyone cleared out of the hospital, I told him about my intentions. I asked him what he thought of us, together, and then I made it clear that I do love you like I have never loved anyone before. I was nervous, Merlin was I bloody nervous, and all for this eleven year old boy's acceptance. I needed it. I could not go through with this if he turned me down."

Hermione could feel Theodore shaking bodily, his hands trembling with what she knew was unexpressed emotion. His breathing got a little more shallow, more hitched and forced. It was obvious he was trying to keep himself in check.

"And at the end of everything, at the end of my entire speech, he just sits there like this little…this little diplomat, looking ever so much like Draco, and he kind of eyes me up and down like he is about to make a serious life choice and then he held out his hand. Like it was a damned business deal." Theodore laughed and tilted his head back, trying his best to keep from exploding in tears. "Scorpius shook my hand, like we were both adults, and then he says…he says 'Just keep my Mum happy.'."

"Oh, Theo." She tugged at his hands, , pulling him down onto his knees before her. Her arms immediately wound around his neck, forcing him close in a tight hug. His next words were quieted by the side of her neck.

"I plan to, Hermione. It is the only thing I want to do."

* * *

><p>"You asked." Scorpius beamed at Theodore later that day, bright silver eyes latching onto the new ring on Hermione's finger. Theodore nodded. "I told him, Mum, I told him to make sure you were always happy."<p>

"I know you did, darling." Hermione reached out to the boy and smoothed his hair away from his face. "We'll have to get your hair cut before you go to school."

"No!" He snatched his head from her fingers. "Al and I are growing it out, James told us that if we grow it out then the Sorting Hat can't read our thoughts and put us in the House we don't want!"

"That is the most ridiculous bit of logic I have ever heard." Theodore shook his head, amused, and hefted himself up onto the long kitchen island counter. Scorpius mimicked him, his much shorter legs swinging back and forth in time with Theodore's. "Besides, everyone knows that the Sorting Hat will only respond to bribes of the best chocolate smeared behind the ears."

"Really?"

"How do you think I wound up in Slytherin?"

"Maybe it was bad chocolate, because no one wants to end up in Slytherin!"

"You have turned this boy against me already." Theodore mock pouted at Hermione, who rolled her eyes as she rubbed her hand absently over her stomach. "So, if neither of you have any objections, I have a serious craving for some authentic Italian food, and I am beyond positive that the restaurant can expand our previous reservation to accommodate one more."

"Real Italian food? In Italy?" Scorpius' face lit up and he jumped down from the counter. Theodore nodded. "Wicked!"

"Go find your suit. Theo'll help you find a tie in a moment." Hermione smiled lovingly at the blond boy as he bounded from the large kitchen, racing up the twisting staircase of Theodore's manor into the bedroom he had claimed as his own. "Really? Do you think it's a good idea to get him used to-"

"Wining and dining in the best of the best establishments?" Theodore slid down from the countertop and once again ensnared her within his arms. "I absolutely do believe it is a wonderful idea. And you should get accustomed to the idea as well. No wife of mine will be seen in less than a five star place of business. I have taken it upon myself to spoil the three of you to the best of my ability."

"Hmmm." Hermione hummed contentedly as his hand settled warmly on her stomach again. "Wife. I actually like the sound of that."

"As you should." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Now, upstairs with you. If I recall, Ginevra prodded you into a slinky little maroon number on your last shopping trip and I have yet to see it. And I want to."

"Anything for my fiancé." She giggled and dealt a sweet peck to his mouth before turning from his arms. She glided up the stairs, her right fingers toying with the ring on her left hand. Theodore followed, turning right instead of left at the top of the steps to make his way towards Scorpius' room.

"Silver or red?" Scorpius immediately recruited Theodore and the man nodded towards the silver tie, watching as the boy wound the silken object around his neck. The knot he finally made was a little off kilter and slightly unbalanced, but for an eleven year old it was excellent work. "Did Mum like the ring?"

"She loved it." Theodore helped him straighten the knotted tie quickly. "I think she was very impressed by you, as well. I told her about our lunch."

"Did you tell her you cried?" Scorpius teased, a very Malfoy-esque smirk crawling across his face.

"You would do well to keep your mouth shut about that if you want chocolate ice cream ever again, you snot." Theodore rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile on his face. "She is very proud of you. We both are. You are incredibly mature, Scorpius. You obviously care about your mother and I respect that."

"Well of course I care, she's my Mum, dolt." Scorpius made a face and smoothed the tie against his chest. "You have to make sure she's happy when I go to school though, because I probably won't have time to write. James says that between classes, Quidditch, meals, and homework, he can't ever write his Mum. At least, that's what Al says. So I know I'll be busy, and I don't want her to worry but I can't write her every day."

"She will make you promise to try and write, you know that."

"I know." Scorpius said, exasperated. "Which is why you're going to distract her, right? I mean, if you keep her busy then she won't notice my letters aren't coming. If you keep her busy I could probably send you like, a Snitch or something from the pitch."

"That sounds like a fair trade to me." Theodore barely contained the snort of laughter but managed. He looked over Scorpius' attire once more. "Let me change clothes and then I have something I want to give you."

* * *

><p>"I noticed Scorpius' new cufflinks at dinner." Hermione said as she sat at the vanity in the bathroom, removing the dangling silver earrings and placing them carefully on the marble countertop. Her bracelet and necklace followed suit. Theodore nodded from his place at the dark mahogany dresser, where he was undoing his own cufflinks and replacing them in the top drawer.<p>

"They were Draco's. We all had a matching set, the Seventh Years. I figured it was as good a time as any to gift them. Besides, it really completes the whole reincarnated image."

"Are you actively trying to turn my son into our old classmate?"

"That is soon to be _our_ son, and no I am not, I am just trying to make sure he will want for nothing."

"He's eleven. Platinum and emerald cufflinks are a hell of a gift."

"Hermione." Theodore sighed and looked over his shoulder to his fiancée where she sat brushing her hair. "Please."

"You've already won him over, you don't need to try harder." He crossed the bedroom, slowly unbuttoning the crisp white dress shirt. He came to stand behind her, his hands falling heavily on her shoulders and massaging lightly. His fingers wove into her hair, teasing the long golden brown tresses until Hermione let out a low sigh.

"I may not need to, but I will always want to try as hard as I can to be the best I can be for all of you. For you, as a lover and a husband. For Scorpius and our child, as a father and confidante and friend." He kissed the spot just below her ear and was rewarded with a moan. "And if that means giving an eleven year old platinum and emerald cufflinks then that is what it will be." Another kiss turned her moan into a tortured whine. "Now get undressed and come to bed. I plan to ravish you properly, as any good man would do to his gorgeous fiancée."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please be kind and leave me a review! Let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: **Alright so...this is the big send off! I hope I didn't butcher it too badly! From here on out it will be mostly Next Gen, with some snippets of back home and everything, but this is the springboard! I honestly don't know how long this story will last, but I'll just have to ride it out for now. Hopefully you all stick around for the ride as well! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Mum, this is so cool!" Scorpius held up his arms for the fifth time in an hour, showing off the Quidditch braces Theodore had purchased earlier that morning. "I'm going to make the team as a First Year, just like Uncle Harry!"<p>

"You really shouldn't encourage him like this." Hermione admonished Theodore, who shrugged and eyed the recently released Thundercloud Seventy Five as it spun in its display case. "And definitely not, not even for yourself."

"I was thinking Christmas." He replied with a smile, tossing a wink to Scorpius for good measure. The boy beamed and tugged on his mother's sleeve.

"Ollivander's! It's open now!" Scorpius pointed out the window at the wand shop, which was indeed open and had a line flowing already from the door. "Let's go!" He darted out of the Quidditch shop before Hermione could protest and left the adults to follow hastily. Theodore was a little faster, even laden with shopping bags, and made it out onto the overcrowded street, his eyes surveying the scene. A small flash of white gold caught his attention and he sprang forward, nearly bowling Scorpius over as the child had abruptly stopped in front of the long line. He stared, slack jawed, at the display of rows upon rows of wands in the storefront, his eyes glassed over in amazement. Hermione let out an audible huff of aggravation as she finally caught up.

"You can't just go running out like that, Scor!" She scolded, grabbing his arm and marching with him to the end of the line. Theodore followed dutifully, one arm lifting so he could dangle the bags over his shoulder. "There are too many people here to be wandering around on your own!"

"Mum!" He scowled and tore his arm from her grasp.

"I'm serious, Scorpius! You could have been hurt!"

"Mum I'm fine! Tell her I'm fine so she'll stop bugging me!" Scorpius demanded of Theodore, who took one look at his fiancée and then turned to the boy.

"Perhaps you should listen to your mother. She is only concerned for you." Scorpius narrowed his eyes at Theodore and shook his head, his arms crossing over his chest in annoyance.

Whatever annoyance the boy held for the adults, however, was quickly erased as they entered the wand shop and he was surrounded by attendants who were eager to help the young boy find his proper wand.

* * *

><p>"Careful where you swish that thing, you haven't learned yet!" Hermione hollered as Scorpius ran ahead to meet the Potter family as they stood on the Muggle platform. She didn't mind him waving a wand on the Muggle platform simply because she knew to the Muggles it would look like the child had an imagination.<p>

Muggles always turned a conveniently blind eye to so many magical happenings.

"You are going to absolutely go insane without him, no?" Theodore hummed in her ear as they walked, his arm finding its way around her waist easily. She nodded and smiled emotionally, leaning into her fiancé as they moved in tandem. "He will be fine. He is a strong and remarkable boy. You have done well, raising him."

"I just worry." She murmured in reply.

"-Quidditch braces and they put the new broom on display too, but-

"-in red, and Mum said she can stitch my name on the back for backyard games and then-"

"-like a regular barn owl, Harry, for goodness' sakes, not a-"

"-didn't have them last time, you know, and I only got one copy-"

The Potter family was a cacophony of jumbled voices, all fighting to be the loudest over each other. Harry and Ginny were heatedly discussing Harry's purchase of an eagle owl for Albus, who was chattering wildly with Scorpius over the Quidditch gear. James was showing his newest edition of a Quidditch tactical book to both of the younger boys. Lily had buried her face in the soft fur of Scorpius' familiar, a beautifully marked Norwegian Forest cat. The younger children had been left to the care of Arthur and Molly for the morning.

"Morning all!" Hermione had to practically yell to get everyone's attention but she received a harmony of answers. Moving as a group they approached the entrance to Platform 9 and ¾, James running through first with Harry right on his heels.

Theodore extended a hand down to Scorpius, who looked up at him anxiously.

"It does not hurt, no matter what lie James has told you."

"So I won't come out the other side with my legs and arms switched?" Scorpius was visibly relieved as he took hold of Theodore's hand. Hermione laughed heartily and pushed the cart full of Scorpius' things through the barrier, her men following moment later.

Again the blond boy went slack jawed in appreciation as he gazed upon the gleaming ruby engine of the Hogwarts Express. His awe was shortlived as Albus took hold of his arm and began bouncing excitedly. Together the two new additions started running along the length of the train. Hermione strained her neck to try and see where they went, shooting a helpless glance at Theodore. He just smiled and jerked his head to the right, where George and Angelina were standing as they overlooked Fred. Teddy was waiting with them as well, his hair turning a shocking shade of blue. Sure enough Scorpius and Albus made their presence known, snatching the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff robes from the older boys in clear fascination.

* * *

><p>"Robes?"<p>

"Check!"

"Books?"

"Check!"

"Familiar?"

"Check!"

"Potion?"

"Locked in the bottom of the trunk with two extra in my bag." Scorpius beamed up at Hermione, who was valiantly fighting tears, and he leaned forward to embrace her tightly. "I'll be fine Mum. I swear."

"I know you will, darling." She folded her hands across the back of his head, pressing him closer to her chest for the last time before he boarded the train. Scorpius gave Hermione one last squeeze, breaking their hug to dart over to Theodore.

"You promise it's not bad in Slytherin? Just in case I get Sorted there?"

"I promise on my life." Theodore grinned. Scorpius nodded and set his jaw. Theodore held out his hand, surprised when Scorpius stepped forward and threw his arms around the man's waist.

The loud whistle of the train broke their embrace and Scorpius ran back to Hermione, a final hug exchanged. He then turned to Albus, who was extracting himself with some difficulty from Ginny. Hermione held tightly to Theodore's hand as she finally began to cry, her emotions winning out.

"I threatened James within an inch of his life if he let Al and Scor fall by the wayside." Harry admitted as he stood in between Ginny and Hermione.

"Your bark is worse than your bite, Harry." Hermione chuckled, wiping at her eyes. "If we really wanted to make sure he listened we would have enlisted Theo."

"And what exactly are you saying?" Theodore frowned, giving Hermione, Harry, and Ginny an odd look.

"Just that our oldest son is dreadfully frightened of you ever since he saw a pair of Slytherins hang a Hufflepuff upside down by their ankles before breakfast last term. Thinks they're all barbarians and crazed lunatics." Ginny snorted. "Not off by much."

"Gin." Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the train, searching for the window into the compartment that held Scorpius. At long last she found him, his face pressed against the glass as he waved. The train was barely moving, inching along the track until it picked up speed and soon, too soon, the whistle had faded into the distance and the train became too small to see.

* * *

><p>"Budge up, Firstie." Teddy snickered as he plopped down on the seat next to Scorpius. Fred was sandwiched between the Potter brothers, all three vigorously unwrapping sweets. "So, excited yet?"<p>

"Yeah." Scorpius nodded and caught the Chocolate Frog Albus tossed him. He ripped the package open, turning the card over. "Your dad again."

"I have about a hundred of him." James rolled his eyes and checked his own card. "Uncle Ron." He tossed the card aside. "Honestly, you'd think they make cards about interesting people."

"They do!" Teddy grinned. "But only on Halloween."

"What?" Scorpius and Albus said together, looking to the older boy. Fred nodded.

"Yeah, they make special editions and release them on Halloween. Don't you idiots know that? Teddy had that card of…who was it again?" Fred tilted his head to the left, trying to remember.

"Bellatrix Lestrange." Teddy said spookily. "Craziest witch that ever lived. Torturer, Dark magic specialist, and second in command to Lord Voldemort."

"Damaged in the head, he is." Fred said of Teddy, who was grinning like a fool. "Thinks it's his life's goal to collect all the Death Eater cards."

"Death Eater?" Scorpius piped up, intrigued. James scoffed.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Death Eaters."

"No." Scorpius shook his head honestly. James, Fred, and Teddy all gaped at him. Even Albus was giving him a weird look.

"Don't you know how our dad even got famous, or did you miss all the dinner shows?" James said haughtily. Scorpius nodded.

"Yeah, sure, he defeated Voldemort."

"Not to mention dozens of Death Eaters." Teddy said, exasperated.

"He put tons of them in Azkaban!" Fred spluttered around a mouthful of Every Flavor Beans.

"And Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione helped!" James added. Albus nodded, his mouth too full of chocolate to properly assist the conversation. "She hasn't ever told you?"

"I mean, I never asked. She was just always…Mum." Scorpius shrugged and popped open a box of licorice wands. "Anyway, all I care about right now is which House I'll get."

"Probably Ravenclaw." Albus finally said as he swallowed his candy. "With the way Aunt Hermione is, her smarts probably rubbed off on you."

"But who knows, since Theo was a Slytherin, and you've been around him a ton, he's probably infected you or something." James teased. Fred and Teddy laughed loudly, poking at Scorpius with their fingers.

"You're covered in Slytherin germs!"

"Am not!"

"Are too, look at him, the little snake!"

"I am not, and I won't!" Scorpius cried, suddenly defensive. "I won't be in Slytherin!" His face had paled considerably and his hands were shaking. Teddy was the first to notice and he reached out to the younger boy.

"It's alright Scor, we were only teasing." Teddy said quickly. He nudged James discreetly and the oldest Potter began digging through Scorpius' bag on the floor. "Here. You look peaky."

Scorpius unstopped the bottle of Blood Replenishing Potion and downed it in a few gulps, the color returning to his face slowly. The other boys sat in silence as Scorpius scowled at the window.

"Sorry Scor."

"S'alright." The blond muttered, embarrassment seeping in. Albus broke the uncomfortable quiet with a loud belch, enticing a round of laughter from the compartment that led back into easy taunting and bickering.

* * *

><p>Scorpius stared, numb, at the stool at the front of the Great Hall. To his left stood Albus, and all around them were their classmates, all dressed identically in plain black robes and hats. Only the Hogwarts crest adorned their robes and it would soon change to the House where they had been Sorted. An elderly witch moved to the podium at the front, right behind the stool where the Sorting Hat was perched as it sang the end of its song.<p>

With a smile, the witch looked down upon the group of First Years and unrolled a long piece of parchment.

"Let the Sorting begin." She announced, a twinkle dancing through her eyes as she scanned the first name on the list.

"Melinda Avery." A small girl with two long black plaits of hair skipped up the steps to the stool and sat obediently, the Sorting Hat placed gently on her head. A few moments passed before the Hat erupted in a roar.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"She looks like a badger." Albus snickered as the girl bounced to the table of yellow clad students, her robes transforming to match.

"Hansen Burdgeon."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Alexis Carter."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

By the time the witch had reached the end of the F's, there were three Gryffindors, four Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws, and not a single Slytherin. Scorpius shifted in his shoes, casting a glance at the table of green robed students who were looking slightly put off. The numbers at their table were significantly smaller than the rest of the other tables and for a moment Scorpius wondered why, and if the tales James had told him were true and that it took someone really evil to wind up there.

He was so caught up in his thinking that he jumped when Albus elbowed him, gesturing to the stool and the witch smiling at him. His breath caught in his throat.

Scorpius reached up to straighten his nondescript tie and took the first step towards the Sorting Hat stool, hoping he didn't trip on the way. He finally reached the seat and climbed up onto it, watching as the brim of the Sorting Hat settled over his eyes. He nearly gasped when he heard a whisper in his ear.

"_Interesting. Very interesting. All the brains and ambition you could ever need. No doubt a smart boy. And curious too. Powerful blood indeed, pure as ever. Such talent taught, I see, but what an open heart for a Malfoy. Your bloodline speaks for itself, my boy, it will soon be made known. It's your fate, and you'll soon begin, best of luck to you in_-

-SLYTHERIN!"

His blood roared in his ears. His heart had surely stopped. Time itself seemed to freeze as Scorpius became the first Slytherin of his class. He sought out James, Fred, and Teddy at their tables. Teddy looked utterly distraught, his earlier teasing now a haunting reality. Fred offered him a grim smile and James looked to be on the verge of true tears as Scorpius turned his eyes to the table of green robed and clapping people. Slowly he started to walk there, wishing he could slam the Sorting Hat back on his head and ask for a different House.

He gasped when the edges of his robes morphed into an emerald hue and the patch over his heart shifted into the silver and green crest of Slytherin. He swallowed thickly against his rising emotions, deaf to the other names being called as he finally took a seat at the end of the row of students. Many shook his hand, welcoming him to their House with smiles and hearty claps on the back.

"I'm Galen. Second Year."

"Scorpius." He shook the hand of the russet haired boy beside him, a little of his unease settled by the introduction.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to the reputation." Galen shrugged and repositioned himself so he could properly watch the Sorting. Scorpius mimicked his actions, desperately hoping for another Slytherin to pop up in his class.

Eight more students were called and Sorted and not a one wound up in green with Scorpius. At long last, a tan skinned girl with sharp eyes was Sorted into the house of snakes and joined Scorpius at the table. She sat across from him, hawk eyes darting from face to face. Once again Galen reached out to welcome her and, as he had for Scorpius, Galen seemed to calm the girl. Scorpius held out his hand next.

"Scorpius." He introduced politely.

"Roshni." She shook his hand once and dropped it, still squirming a little in her seat. She turned to the Sorting and then back again suddenly, holding Scorpius' eyes with her own. "You can call me Rosh."

And Scorpius knew then that he had somehow, by some miracle, made two friends. His attention was directed to the front when Albus' name was called out. He craned his neck to see over Roshni's head. Albus sat perfectly still on the stool, his eyes trained on the Gryffindor table, obviously focused on Fred and James. After a few minutes the Hat started to hum thoughtfully, as if it were making a terribly tough decision. The witch waiting behind the stool began to tap her foot impatiently. The Hat opened its mouth once, twice, and then shut it, still confused. Scorpius knew that Hat was still whispering in Albus' ear, trying to figure him out, and then suddenly the Hat roared to life again.

"SLYTHERIN!"

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Well...let me know what you think please!


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Another huge round of thanks to all you lovely readers! Your many follows, favorites, and reviews are beyond appreciated. You all are what really drives the magic that compels me to write. I can't thank you enough for reading and showing your support.

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><p>"My dad is going to kill me." Albus whimpered as he fell in line behind Scorpius following the feast in the Great Hall. "He said so himself, when James went to school! He said if any of his children wound up in Slytherin, he'd leave them outside over Yule break to freeze and starve to death! Oh, he's going to murder me, I'm done for!"<p>

"How do you think my Mum feels?" Scorpius said morosely. "She was a tried and true Gryffindor, just like your dad, and here I am in Slytherin like a regular old foul up."

"But both my parents were Gryffindors! I'm in for it double! The only reason Teddy got away with Huffepuff is because his real mum was in it!"

"Let's not write home this week!"

"Deal! And if we can make it to Yule break without them finding out, then we'll tell them then." Albus agreed with the plan as he and Scorpius crossed the threshold into the Slytherin Common Room. The next words on the tip of the boy's tongue were quickly swallowed as they entered the world of grandeur in which they would live for the next seven years.

The dungeon ceiling vaulted to a high point that ran as a seam down the center of the Common Room, replicating what would have been found in a tower. The Common Room was dark, yes, but lit glamorously with torches that hung at evenly spaced intervals, orange flames tickling the nearly black stone walls. The furniture was either green or black, an expensive fabric akin to velvet and piped by a fine silvery thread. Two armchairs were angled close to each other by the fireplace, providing a warm nook in which to read. One large black sectional couch formed an 'L' off to the right, an ebony coffee table set directly in front of it. A smaller green sofa completed the room, accented with plush silver pillows. Two chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, black crystals tinkling lightly as the candles threw even more flames against the walls. It was warm in the dungeon, a stark contrast to the hallway down which they had just come.

"Bloody hell." Albus swore under his breath in an exact mimicry of his Uncle Ron. Scorpius nodded to second the notion. "This is actually-"

"Wicked." Scorpius grinned, casting a glance at the nine other First Years who had been Sorted into Slytherin.

"Welcome to Slytherin, ickle Firsties!" A girlish cackle broke the spell the atmosphere had cast over the eleven year olds. A tall dark skinned girl was leaning against a far pillar, near the back of the Common Room. The pin on her robes reflected her Prefect status as she pushed off the wall. "I'm one of your Prefects. You can call me Mal. Your other prefect is Alek." She nodded towards a dark corner, where a thickly built boy was picking at his fingernails with a pocketknife. "If you have any questions, we're the ones you come to. Now, girls, your rooms are down this hall. Boys, follow Alek."

"With me." Alek rose to his feet and Scorpius wondered for a moment if the Prefect had giant blood in his family tree. He was abnormally tall, a good two feet over Scorpius' head for sure. Even though he had only spoken two words, his voice was laden with a thick accent. His shoulders were large, almost to the point where he had to turn sideways to fit through the door that led down the boys hall. "There are three beds to a room. Pick your bunkmates. Your trunks will arrive after you've settled." Dark and hooded eyes surveyed the crowd of six First Years. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, when are Quidditch tryouts?" A weedy boy with a mop of unkempt black curls piped up, a smirk settling confidently across his face. Scorpius vaguely remembered him as Sean Warrington, one of the last Slytherins to be Sorted. Alek frowned.

"First Years do not play on our House team." The Prefect answered dully. Sean rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but when are the tryouts?"

"Three weeks." Alek finally rumbled. "But don't expect to make the team. There's a reason we don't put First Years on."

"So you play then?" Albus asked curiously. Alek nodded once.

"Beater." With that, Alek turned and walked back down the hallway, entering a door about halfway up the corridor. Scorpius turned to Albus, jerking his head in the direction of a third boy.

"You want to see if Westhaven will room with us?"

"Yeah, he's a better pick than Selwyn or Rowle." Albus muttered. "Hey Westhaven!" The sandy haired boy spun on his heel, brown eyes wide. "You're with us."

"Scorpius." Scorpius extended his hand to Westhaven who accepted it with a grin.

"Noah."

"I'm Albus, but call me Al. Please." Albus rolled his eyes and kicked open the door that led into the room the three boys would share. Sure enough, true to Alek's word, their trunks materialized in the center of the room. Even Scorpius' familiar, a brilliant white Norwegian Forest cat with blue tipped ears and tail, appeared from inside the bathroom as if waiting all along. "Window bunk!"

"Doesn't matter, whichever you don't want." Scorpius said politely, waiting for Noah to take his pick of the other two beds. Albus bounced on his mattress, looking out of the charmed window at blue skies. "Not like the window is real anyway Al, we're in the dungeons."

"I know that, prick." Albus tossed his pillow at Scorpius hard, catching the blond in the face. Noah laughed until Scorpius' pillow collided with the side of his head and soon the three were engaged in a brawl, laughing and carrying on, Albus and Scorpius' worries about being Sorted properly forgotten.

* * *

><p>"James sold me out." Albus whined as he joined Scorpius and Noah at the breakfast table a week later. "He wrote home to Mum, figured I would have written her by now, and told her I was in Slytherin. Expect my Howler any time, to be honest."<p>

"She won't send you a Howler." Scorpius said, laughing.

"He probably ratted you out too, so I wouldn't be laughing!" Albus added. Scorpius shrugged as Noah watched them over the rim of his goblet.

"What's the big deal?"

"My dad and his mum were legendary Gryffindors." Albus poked at his eggs moodily. "Special Services Awards to the school, all that rubbish. And here we are. Slytherins."

"S'not that bad." Scorpius admitted through a mouthful of buttered toast. "Theo was a Slytherin, and Mum's marrying him."

"That's different, that's when you grow up and get weird and like people for stupid reasons." Albus reached over Noah's plate to get to the pitcher of juice. The sandy haired boy crisscrossed his arms with Albus' as he went after a platter of sausage links. "Besides, who wouldn't like Theo? The guy is wicked rich. I mean, he has a manor and everything."

"My parents were Ravenclaws." Noah said indifferently. "Don't think they'll be too upset about me winding up in Slytherin though. My uncle was one, and so was one of my greataunts or something." He shrugged. "Besides, it's not like they actively practice anymore."

"Practice?" Scorpius quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head, confused. Noah nodded and cut into a few hotcakes.

"Yeah, you know, the Arts. It's been out of custom now for almost a decade." Noah continued, stuffing triangular pieces of the fluffy breakfast in his mouth and chewing. His face took on a thoughtful expression, as if he was trying to recall an important name or place. "I can't remember the name of the family that kept the Arts alive after the war but…I'll think of it later."

"Morning boys." Roshni beamed at the trio as she joined them, her bag swinging onto the bench across from Albus and Scorpius. She shoved Noah with her hip none too gently and the boy made a disgruntled noise but moved down the bench. "First day of classes. Are you as excited as I am?"

"Are you mental?" Albus snorted. "She's taken a dive off the deep end, boys. Enjoying classes? Fat bloody chance."

"Ignore him, he's part Weasley." Scorpius rolled his eyes and Noah snickered. Roshni just waved a dismissive hand.

"I suppose I'm looking forward to Potions most. The girls and I talked about it all evening. Professor Finnegan mostly does explosive potions!" Roshni giggled. Scorpius had to try and hide his own excitement about the subject. It intrigued him, to be completely honest, and he couldn't wait to see how he stacked up against his mother's old scores. He had heard Uncle Harry and, when he was around, Uncle Ron drone on and on about his mother's intellectual abilities. Even Theo had mentioned it on more than one occasion.

"Care of Magical Creatures, if I had to pick one." Noah finally said. "I think it'd be right brilliant to see a Niffler or Hippogriff up close."

"I wish they hadn't done away with Defense Against the Dark Arts." Albus said grumpily. "I bet I'd be a dead ringer."

"Well they have the Dueling Lessons, that should be close enough." Roshni offered helpfully. Her face contorted with worry suddenly. "Although I don't think I'll do very well."

"Rubbish." Scorpius rolled his eyes again. "You'll do fine."

"What about you, Scor?" Albus bumped his shoulder on Scorpius'. "Where do you think you'll do best?"

"As long as I finish better than you do, any subject is fine." Scorpius laughed heartily and ducked a small bit of eggs as Albus flung them off his fork.

* * *

><p><em>Scorpius, <em>

_ You can only imagine how I must feel to learn of your Housing arrangement from your Aunt Ginny, and not from you directly. Slytherin! I assure you, Slytherin is a good House. I understand it is not your first choice, but I think there is a reason why you wound up there and maybe one day you will understand as well. Please do not think I am disappointed. I only hope that this doesn't distract you from the real mission at hand: your academics._

_ I hope this letter finds you well and in good company. Aunt Ginny told me that Albus was Sorted into Slytherin as well. DO NOT use this combined Sorting to wreak havoc, as you two are wont to do. Behave yourselves. Study hard. Pay attention in class. Take good notes. Make sure you get three meals a day. Have Quidditch tryouts happened yet? If there is a game you wish for me to attend please send an owl with the dates._

_ I miss you already, darling Scorpius. The Manor is a little quieter without you. Theo wishes you well, and says to enjoy his old House._

_ Please owl back._

_Much love,_

_Mum_

_P.S.- Scorpius, if you are in the fifth bedroom on the left down the boys' corridor, look underneath the bunk closest to the window. There is a secret passage, it leads to Honeydukes' back room. Also, you will find a long list of initials along the stones on the right side of the bathroom door. Add yours, as well as your classmates.- Theo_

"Hey Al!" Scorpius folded the letter and scrambled across the room, kicking open the bathroom door so he could look for the carved initials. "Al, Noah, come here! Theo just wrote me, look!"

"I didn't see this before!" Albus peered over the top of Scorpius' head at the long list of white initials on the black stone. "Wicked!"

"We need to add ours." Noah bounced back to his desk, pulling out his favorite pocketknife. The blade was thin and sharp and easily cut through the black stone to leave a white etch of 'N.W.' at the end of the list. Scorpius read the letters for a moment, Noah's knife turning in his palm.

M.F. '94  
>M.B. '94<br>A.P. '95  
>T.H. '95<br>L.B. '96  
>P.B. '97<br>H.V. '97  
>B.Z. '98<br>T.N. '98  
>D.M. '98<p>

"There's Theo, see?" Scorpius pointed to Theodore's initials and then began scribbling his own into the stone, a scratchy 'S.G.' resting beneath Noah's inscription. Albus eagerly took the knife and carved his mark into the stone as well at the end of the list. It began near the top of the doorframe and, despite the tiny carving sizes, the list carried more than halfway down the wall.

"Now we belong." Albus said smartly, handing the knife back to Noah. "Mum ratted you, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Scorpius shrugged and kicked open his trunk, pulling out a Charms text and flipping to the paragraph he had marked in class. "It's alright. Can't blame James, you know. Probably should have told her myself, it's been almost three weeks."

"Yeah, I'm actually surprised she waited this long to write you." Noah folded his class robes over the back of his chair. "My Mum sent me a letter on day two."

"Never got my Howler." Albus said with a wide grin as he laid on his bed, tossing a nicked Quaffle up over his body and catching it again in a steady rhythm. "Guess Mum told Dad off or something."

"Or your dad is just a big softie and wouldn't kill you anyways." Scorpius teased, knowing that his Uncle Harry had a decided weak spot for Albus. The Potter boy rolled his eyes and threw the Quaffle at Scorpius a little harder than necessary, the blond knocked backwards as he caught the pitch.

"Arse."

* * *

><p>"How the bloody hell did you get an 'O'?" Albus knocked his shoulder into Roshni's as they left Transfiguration, his own exam clutched in his hand, a dark red 'A' circled at the top. "I barely saw you study!"<p>

"Some of us are just born with bigger mental faculties." Roshni smiled brightly at Scorpius, who flashed his own 'O' at Albus.

"I would be saddled with two geniuses." Albus muttered, stuffing his exam into his bag. "I'll be Noah got one too."

"Got one what?" Noah asked as he jogged to catch up with his friends.

"Gimme that!" Albus snatched the exam from Noah's bag, unfolding it and groaning. "You got an 'E'! I'm a failure! I'm an absolute dunce!"

"Are not." Roshni argued. "You got an 'O' in Charms just last week!"

"Only because I studied James' notes instead of my own." Albus admitted in defeat. "Face it friends, I am an idiot."

"You passed; I don't see what you're blabbering on about." Noah shoved Albus' shoulder and the dark haired boy just groaned again. "He's mental!"

"He'll perk up after Dueling, he always does." Scorpius laughed as the quartet entered the Great Hall, their discussion turning to lunch as they approached the Slytherin table. Galen waved at the First Years from his seat with his yearmates. Scorpius returned the wave happily, watching as the older boy came over to the end of the table.

"Afternoon Firsties." Galen said, chipper as always. "Quidditch tryouts will be next week. Mal just posted the schedule in the Common Room. She's entertaining First and Second Years who want to tryout but she makes no promises about making the team. Slytherin isn't exactly known for nice play, you know." He grinned widely. "I'm hoping to at least make alternate Beater, if I can." Galen stood up straight, his news delivered. "See you boys at the pitch, then?"

Scorpius, Albus, and Noah waited until Galen had made it back to his seat before turning in on each other, jabbering excitedly about the opportunity. Roshni merely sighed and forked a small portion of caramel glazed cake onto her plate, daintily picking at it with her fingers while the boys discussed the finer points of flying.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Please let me know what you think. Also, I was debating on whether or not to fast forward through a good bit of the repetitive school scenes, like classes and such. Trying to write in the mentality of a much younger person than myself is proving difficult. But let me know what you think.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: **Well, my Internet committed suicide earlier this week. Our provider came out to do service adjustments or something cyber-spacey and my Internet went down the royal shitdrain so...I busied myself with writing like a maniac. Oh, and since I only got one official vote on the fast forwarding...that's what I'll be doing. Simple snap shots and little randomly written moments from each year. Once we get up to about Fifth or Sixth Year, I should be able to get back into the habit of writing longer, more eloquent scenarios. Right now it's just difficult because, well, I'm not anywhere near the right age and I can't for the life of me remember what my eleven/twelve/thirteen year old self was like (other than a terror). So, here we go. Enjoy!

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><p>Scorpius soon found himself settled into a solid routine. Living with Albus and Noah passed the time fairly quickly, and, without notice, the term had progressed from September into October and was beginning to creep closer to November. The chill outside was starting to permeate the walls of the castle, mostly in the dungeons no thanks to the Black Lake, and the Slytherin Common Room could often be found packed to the brim with students trying to study and stay warm by the fire. It was on these afternoons in late October, huddled over a game of chess with Noah while Roshni and Albus bickered on a nearby couch, that Scorpius found himself passing most of his time. He studied, sure, but he found academics came easily enough for him. A simple review the night before an exam proved prudent enough for him to get at least 'E's in every class. Potions, Charms, and Dueling were serving to be his best topics above all, while he probably studied the most for Transfiguration and History of Magic.<p>

Quidditch had been a fair effort with no real results. As promised by Mal, the Prefect and Team Captain, no First Years made the starting team. Albus, though he took after his famous flying father, had only made third string alternate as a Chaser despite his trying out for Seeker. Scorpius had flown for Seeker as well, but the Slytherins were a tough crowd indeed and the blond boy had been violently knocked off his broom several times before he decided to chuck in the Quaffle altogether and save it for next year. Albus was elated with his position as a backup's backup, as he still got to go to practices and suit up for games, just in case. The Potter boy's biggest fan was, to no one's surprise, Roshni, and Noah and Scorpius enjoyed making light of this fact whenever they got the chance.

The girl proved to be a fast and steady friend to the three boys, often acting as a buffer whenever Scorpius and Albus happened to leave Noah out of their already tight companionship. The other boy didn't seem to mind, mostly, and even understood why he was acting as a third wheel during some of their adventures. Roshni was a welcome distraction, as well as a source of entertainment and semi-useful facts.

She was currently rattling on about the Quidditch matches and resulting Quidditch Cups over the past ten years as they walked down to the pitch, their Slytherin scarves blowing in the blustery October breeze. Scorpius had grabbed his green toboggan as well, shoving it down over his now unruly blond hair to cover his ears. His scarf was wrapped thickly around his neck, covering most of his jaw and chin, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed to the cold. Roshni had tried to match him, her silver toboggan slipping off her long raven hair as they walked with a bounce across the grounds. Noah kept pace with them, unbothered by the biting wind as evidenced by the lack of head coverings and loosely tied scarf. Even his jacket was only buttoned once.

"-Gryffindor won the last four years, and before that Ravenclaw won once and Hufflepuff twice. Slytherin hasn't won for almost eight years." Roshni finished up her commentary on Quidditch Cup winners as they reached the bottom of the Slytherin stands.

"D'you suppose Al will get to play this time?" Noah asked as he took up the rear of their single file climb up the stairs.

"Probably not. I mean, both Donahue and Mathis would have to be out of the game for him to even get on a broom." Scorpius reminded Noah, who nodded but shrugged regardless. "It'd be pretty awesome if he did."

"I highly doubt Albus would be able to stomach the thought of playing this early in his career. A First Year, on the Slytherin team. He'll be pummeled to death, especially against Gryffindor!" Roshni scoffed.

"Aw, come on Rosh, he's not that bad a flyer."

"And not that good of one either to dodge James' Bludgers. You know James will have it out for him if he takes to the skies." She argued, pausing for a moment to catch her breath.

"You're just worried your boyfriend will end up in the Infirmary." Scorpius teased. Roshni gave him a harsh push and jumped up the steps to get around him. He shared a laugh with Noah and then bounded up after Roshni, erupting into the stands as the wind howled around them. Dots of red and green were soaring low near the bottom of the pitch, circling each other slowly. Scorpius knew that taunts were being traded in excess, and that James had already tried out a few of the nastier insults on his brother earlier in the week.

If the Third Year had been able to deliver the teases with a straight face, Scorpius would have called them hurtful.

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><p>"Donahue's down!" Noah cried as he leaned far over the railing. The right wing Chaser was indeed slumped over his broom, a well-timed Bludger from Fred Weasley, the second Gryffindor Beater, proving effective. Scorpius squinted down at the pitch, trying to see where exactly the action was. He had been caught up in playing a game of miniature chess with Roshni as the Quidditch match was closing in on its second hour. Even Roshni jumped to her feet, looking down at the pitch. "Al could actually do it! Warrick already went in for Mathis after his Bludger to the head and Burke might have to sub out, she's tweaked her shoulder!"<p>

"No bloody way!" Scorpius found himself pounding the railing along with Noah, both boys enthralled by the possibility of watching their friend play in one of the biggest games of the year.

It even seemed that James wanted his younger brother to get in on the Gryffindor-Slytherin action, as his next few Bludger hits were aimed perfectly at Burke. Most of them were blocked by either Alek or the other Slytherin Beater, a burly Fifth Year named Ross, but a few had her ducking and swerving to the best of her ability.

In the one hundred and forty fifth minute of the game, one of James' astounding routs found its mark and crashed hard into Burke's back right shoulder blade. The girl let out a string of wild curses as Alek hunted down James, his bat in hand and vengeance on his face, but Burke eventually flew back to the sidelines and the Slytherin team box. From her seat as Keeper, Mal shouted out the orders to the team box. Warrick was in already and Mathis was gripping his broom tightly, one hand shoved against Albus' chest.

"She won't let him. She'll send Mathis back in before she sends in Al." Noah was trying to read lips across the pitch. Scorpius shivered, tightening the scarf around his neck as he waited for the outcome. Mathis was angrily gesturing between himself and Albus, one fist shaking madly at Mal. She flew down from the posts, shoving Mathis down onto the bench and thrusting Mathis' broom into Albus' hands. The boy went sheet white but climbed on anyway, following his captain out into the sky.

"No way!" Roshni joined the boys at the railing, whooping loudly with them as Albus circled the pitch. James looked positively thrilled as he watched his brother fly for a moment before putting his mask of indifference back on.

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><p>"You flew brilliantly, Albus! It was absolutely inspiring!" Roshni gushed as she walked step for step by Albus' side, he still dressed in his Quidditch robes as they left the pitch in their usual quartet.<p>

"Yeah, spell binding." Noah commented dryly, sniggering at Roshni's affections.

"Completely and utterly poetic. Like watching a dance." Scorpius teased further, rubbing shoulders with Noah as Albus turned three different shades of red in a matter of seconds.

"But seriously Al, it was awesome." Noah grinned widely. "First Year playing in the Gryffindor match? And scoring? Bloody wicked."

"It was only one goal."

"It was one goal more than I'll ever score, that's certain!" Scorpius punched Albus on the shoulder as the Potter boy laughed and nodded along. "Really, it was too cool to watch. Totally jealous."

"Mal wasn't kidding when she said Gryffindors play rough." Albus winced as he rotated his shoulder a little too far. "I think James purposefully hit me with that last Bludger. Or five. Fred wasn't an angel either."

"They were aiming for you. A little too much for my liking, if you ask my opinion-"

"I didn't."

"-really, your own brother and all, playing rough like that, he could've-"

"Rosh, really." Albus tried to bat her hands away as they searched for more bruises.

"-just a quick spell, hold tight-"

"Rosh, leave the guy alone!" Noah laughed and steered the girl away from Albus, who shot Noah a thankful glance. "He just finished a game, he needs a shower." Roshni looked to Scorpius for help, who lifted his shoulders with no assistance.

"Give the guy some breathing room." Scorpius laughed when she scowled at him and pulled her arm from Noah's grasp. "You can make kissy faces at the flying First Year later."

"Oh, you!" Roshni glared at Scorpius and stalked off, huffing, with Noah and Scorpius following behind in waves of giggles.

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><p>"Write me over Christmas, alright?" Roshni urged as she held each boys' hands in turn, Albus then Scorpius and finally Noah. They all nodded and agreed, each one knowing that they probably wouldn't. Roshni smiled and waved at them all before bouncing off to a family standing underneath a Hogwarts Express sign. Scorpius looked around for his own family, grinning when he spotted Theodore's trademark coppery hair high above the rest of the crowd.<p>

"I see my family. Yours won't be too far behind, Al." Scorpius shook Noah's hand once before he took off running in the direction he had sighted Theodore, Albus right on his heels. Sure enough, Harry was standing right beside Theodore and Hermione. Scorpius stopped short in his tracks at the sight of his mother, his face losing all of its joyfulness as he took tentative steps towards Hermione.

"Scor, darling." She held out her arms to him, beckoning him in for a hug. He just gaped at her rounded midsection, looking back and forth between Hermione and Theodore. "Scorpius. Please."

"Go on." Theodore encouraged, his arm firmly around Hermione's waist. Scorpius moved forward, his bag hanging from one arm as he stepped into his mother's embrace.

"You didn't tell me." Scorpius muttered almost angrily into the fabric of Hermione's shirt, his back curved over the small hump of her belly. She hugged him tightly, hands running through his hair before he pulled away. "Why?"

"I didn't think a letter would be the right place to do it." Hermione answered. Scorpius sighed and looked up at Hermione, a small frown gracing his lips. "What is it, darling?"

"Brother or sister?" He asked warily, looking between Theodore and Hermione again.

"Sister." Theodore answered, smiling when Scorpius leaned into his side for a one armed hug. "We just found out a few weeks ago."

"Well, it could be worse." Scorpius finally said. "But you have to let me help you name her."

"I think that's plenty fair." Hermione laughed and bent slightly to kiss his cheek. "Granmamma Weasley made some of her pies this morning, what do you say we stop in for a visit after we drop your things at the Manor?"

"Deal." Scorpius then grinned widely up at Theodore. "I found those initials you told me about in the letter! We added ours too, the list is so long!"

"Bloody hell, my son made the team." Harry stared after his second son for a long pause, blinking slowly. "Both my boys are Quidditch players."

"Technically Al is just an alternate's alternate, but he did play in the Gryffindor match two months ago. He was brilliant!" Scorpius chattered animatedly. He skipped to his mother's side for another hug and then ran off after Albus, leaving the adults to talk amongst themselves.

"He's got robes with his name on them." Harry said, his voice nostalgic and wavering. "Quidditch players."

"Oh, wake up you old sap." Theodore grumbled. "You were the youngest Seeker in a century, it was bound to be passed on to your children. Although, Albus making the House team for Slytherin is quite a feat. Draco was barely let on in our Second Year. It is a long understood rule that First Years do not actively play on the team."

"Why was that, I wonder?" Hermione groused as she recalled the manner in which Slytherin Quidditch players conducted themselves on the pitch.

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><p>"Can't believe our first whole year is over." Noah sighed as he sank onto one of the couches in the Slytherin Common Room. He stretched languidly, his socked feet landing in Roshni's lap. She harrumphed but adjusted her book on his ankles, continuing her studying. She had already bought most of the texts for their Second Year and claimed to be getting a head start even though she had the highest marks in their year. Albus leaned back in the recliner he had claimed, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. He had banged it up pretty good in the last Quidditch match of the season, against Ravenclaw, and was still dealing with the leftover muscle soreness. Mal had liked his playing during the Gryffindor match in first term, surprised at the fact that he scored on his first time in the air, and had subsequently stepped him up to first alternate. As such, Albus got much more playing time than expected and thus more injuries. Scorpius lounged in front of the fire, twirling his wand as a few of the chessboard pieces, a white pawn, knight, and queen, bobbed in an airborne dance.<p>

"Maybe they'll actually make you first string next year, Al." Roshni said quietly. Her hazel golden eyes studied the dark haired boy intently as he kept on massaging his shoulder. "Did you trying an icing charm?"

"It wore off about an hour ago." Albus replied moodily. "I hope I do get first string next year, I sure put on a good show this year. Even Mal said she was happy."

"She'll be captain again next year too." Scorpius said, adding a king to the dancing figurines. "Besides, second is the highest place Slytherin has had in what, Rosh, six years?"

"Five, actually." The girl replied, shifting her book again. Noah grumbled, dozing lightly, but remained stretched across the couch regardless.

"See Al? You've done good for the team." Scorpius flicked his wand, all of the figurines turning a deep shade of emerald before going back to their original colors.

"I suppose." Albus reached up with his injured shoulder, wincing, and let his hand fall back to his lap with a pained exhale. "I just don't know if I can keep up the beatings for six more years!"

"Sure you can." Roshni said firmly. "Because I'm willing to bet that next year they'll let Scorpius on. Maybe even Noah, if he tries out."

"He won't." Albus laughed loudly. "He's a wreck on a broom! Worse than my Aunt Hermione!"

"My Mum can't fly to save her life!" Scorpius agreed, chuckling, as his chess pieces fell to the floor. "She tried it once, at Al's house for a game when Teddy had to drop, and she nearly fell off. She hadn't even gotten off the ground yet!"

The three Slytherins that were awake enjoyed a good laugh, each sharing a story or two as they sat together in a relative but comfortable quiet. It was only when Noah began snoring and Scorpius started to doze off in front of the fireplace that Roshni suggested they move to their respective rooms and catch a good night's sleep before taking the train back to their homes in the morning.

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><p>"Promise me you'll write?" Roshni looked as if she was trying her best not to cry as she looked at her friends, dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple purple shirt. "It's going to be a dreadful summer without you three."<p>

"You'll make it, Rosh." Noah laughed, slinging a bag over his shoulder as he spotted his parents on the platform. His khakis and black polo made his sandy hair, lightened by the sun he had caught whilst watching Quidditch, seem even brighter. "I say we make a pact though."

"Done." Albus agreed immediately, barely listening. His jeans and striped blue and white shirt were already becoming a hassle in the heat that was flooding the platform, no thanks to the summer weather.

"What kind of pact?" Scorpius asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his tan shorts, searching for the leftover Every Flavor Beans he had bought on the train. The forest green button up turned his hair an interesting shade of sugary white.

"Every year, before we get on the train, we meet right here, under the-" Roshni counted the lanterns on the pillars of the platform before continuing. "-seventh light from the entrance. And this is where we say our goodbyes too. Every year, so we'll always have someone to sit with on the train ride."

"I'm in." Noah smiled widely, holding out his hand with his palm facing the floor. Albus stacked his hand on top, followed by Roshni and finally Scorpius.

"See you all at the end of August."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I'll let this chapter stew for a bit before I put up another! Thank you for all the love, keep it up!


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: **All you lovely people are so wonderful! I can't wait for more feedback from all of you! I broke 100 followers which just made me super giddy, because I am such a silly llittle girl! And almost 30 favorites! Eeeek you all rock so hard, I can't stop smiling! Enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!

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><p>"Mum! We're going to be late!" Scorpius called urgently as he leaned out of the west study. Hermione called back from her bedroom upstairs, something unintelligible due to the distance, and Scorpius bounded up the steps towards his mother's room. "Mum, you can't be late for your own wedding! Theo will kill me if you don't show up!"<p>

"I know, I know!" Hermione said as she fussed over her lipstick. "I'm almost done."

"Mum!" Scorpius stomped a foot on the floor, signaling his impatience, and Hermione gave herself one last look in the mirror. She smoothed hands down the front of her wedding gown, her fingers shaking. Scorpius stilled, looking across her bedroom solemnly.

Hermione took another deep breath, smiled at her reflection, and turned to face the twelve year old boy in the doorway. He had grown another two inches since being home from school and his hair was nearly covering his eyebrows, but to Hermione he looked every bit like the six year old who had nearly had a heart attack over the loss of his first tooth. His eyes were serious as the two people locked gazes, hers watery as she stared at her son.

"Mum, are you nervous?" His question was quiet but even and Hermione laughed, nodding slowly. "You shouldn't be. Theo loves you, he told me himself. And I told him to keep you happy, and he did. And Mum…you look very beautiful."

"Oh, Scor." She couldn't help it when a single tear slipped from her right eye, beckoning him to her side with outstretched arms. The boy sprinted across the room, his arms going around her waist easily as she pressed his head to her chest. He nearly reached her shoulder now.

"And you even have Rhi to keep you company now." Scorpius said as he pulled back from the hug. "Did Aunt Ginny like her middle name?"

"She loved it, and it was very sweet of you to suggest it." Hermione reverted to her old habit of brushing Scorpius' hair from his face, tugging on it gently. "And you still need a haircut."

"I always need one, according to you." He retorted smartly. She laughed and kissed his forehead, smiling. "Now come on! Theo made me promise I wouldn't let you back out of this now!"

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><p>"She'll show up." Harry assured Theodore as they stood together at the end of the aisle in the backyard of the Manor. White chairs flooded the expansive lawn, every single one filled. Theodore nodded, a shade or two paler than normal, and continued fidgeting as he waited for his soon to be wife to appear at the other end. It seemed as if he had been waiting here forever already, but he knew he could wait a bit more.<p>

The front row of the seating arrangements had been stuffed full of Weasleys and Potters. Theodore had chosen Harry to be his best man, and Hermione had naturally taken Ginny as her maid of honor. Molly and Arthur were split across the aisle, Arthur on Hermione's side and Molly on Theodore's. They were the surrogate parents for the occasion, as Hermione's were still living blissfully oblivious in Australia and Theodore had cut off his ties nearly a decade ago. George and Angelina were seated with their children on Theodore's half of the chairs while Ron and Lavender and their daughter took Hermione's. Percy had also chosen Hermione's side but Bill and his family had slid into the remaining five seats on the front row of Theodore's half. Charlie, still a bachelor, had arrived with a pretty blonde woman and promptly joined his oldest brother.

"Here we go." Harry muttered as the string quartet that had been playing went oddly silent and the harp started up. The traditional wedding march sounded ethereal on the strings of the large instrument but Theodore didn't care. All that mattered was that finally, after nearly a year of waiting, Hermione was finally going to be his.

She was a vision in a trumpet style gown of golden ivory, a small bouquet of dusty pink roses held in her right hand. Ginny walked before her, a simple sapphire dress swaying as she moved down the aisle. Hermione was whispering with Scorpius as he escorted his mother down to her groom, the boy's smile a million miles wide as his eyes flitted back and forth between Hermione and Theodore.

"And who gives this woman to this man, on this joyous occasion?" Kingsley Shacklebolt grinned toothily at the gathered crowd as Scorpius nodded at him.

"I do." The boy then let his mother's arm disentangle from his own, holding her hand in both of his before passing it to Theodore. His silver eyes narrowed slightly at the groom, just for a second. "You better keep her happy."

"Do not worry, my boy. That is exactly my every intention." Theodore replied, his fingers winding tightly through Hermione's as she laid a sweet kiss to Scorpius' cheek. He beamed at the couple and then retreated, first going to Molly to gently pick up his baby sister Rhianon and then settling into his reserved seat next to Arthur.

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><p>"Come on Scorpius!" Theodore called up the winding staircase to the blond's room, a loud crash echoing throughout the west wing of the Manor. Theodore shared an inquisitive glance with Hermione, who just sighed and resettled baby Rhianon on her hip.<p>

"Scor! We're late already!"

"Be down in a second!" The reply floated down from the boy's room, another startling clatter resounding from upstairs. Theodore sighed and began climbing the steps, surprised when Scorpius' door flew wide open and the boy jumped out, his trunk in tow. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"What on earth are you doing up here?" Theodore asked, bewildered at the state of the twelve year old. His blond hair was wildly ruffled on top of his head, a few smudges of soot crisscrossing his forehead and beneath his cheeks. His trunk was stuffed full, his green and silver tie and a sleeve of a robe hanging from inside, pinched between the two halves.

"Packing!" Scorpius answered cheerily. "Come on, I have to meet everyone else!" He dragged Theodore down the steps, the exasperated man casting a look at Hermione as she giggled and followed the male half of her family into the study. Floo powder was distributed throughout and within seconds the family of four burst into the upstairs arrival room at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione smartly swished her wand at Scorpius' trunk, shrinking it to an easily portable size. He stuffed it into his pocket and made to dart off, stopped only by Theodore's hand on his shoulder.

"Easy." The man turned to his wife, checking the clock on the wall behind her head. "Scorpius and I can go ahead, and you can take your time with Rhianon."

"I think that's a good idea, before that one starts foaming at the mouth to get to the platform." Hermione teased, accepting a chaste kiss from her husband and one on the cheek from Scorpius before the two males left her and the baby in their wake.

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><p>"Scor! Over here!" Roshni jumped excitedly, waving her arm in a fury as Scorpius ran down from the entrance to Platform 9 and ¾. They hugged briefly. "I was worried you were going to forget!"<p>

"Nope! I thought I was going to be the last one here. Where are Noah and Albus?"

"No idea. I've only been here a few minutes anyway." Roshni dismissed his worries easily, still scanning the crowd. Scorpius took a moment to evaluate his friend.

She had sprung up a few inches but still was shorter than he was. Her hair was longer, held back in a loose braid that swung to just between her shoulder blades. Her skin was a little darker than he remembered, as if she had been out in the sun all summer. Her eyes were still a hawkish gold, bright and almond shaped. Overall, Scorpius figured she was pretty enough.

"There's Noah!" Roshni again began her frantic waving, her arm acting as a flag of reference. Noah sprinted over, grabbing Roshni in a hug and then shaking Scorpius' hand enthusiastically.

The dirty blond boy had cut his once shaggy hair into a closely cropped style, bringing out the sharp angles of his face that had started to take shape. He had stretched out a few inches, now taller than Scorpius, and it was obvious that he was rapidly outgrowing even this wardrobe, as his jeans barely covered his ankles. Where Roshni's eyes were a golden hazel, Noah's were a dark brown that glittered black in the right lighting or, as they were now, whenever his excitement level was elevated.

"I hardly made it these last two weeks! Mum threatened to kick me out of the house if I kept talking about going back to school, but Dad was beyond thrilled that I can't wait to come back." Noah smiled over at his parents, waving for good measure at the dark haired couple. "I think it's because he thinks I'm ready to study. Honestly, I want to check out some rumors I heard from my cousins."

"Rumors?" Scorpius asked, intrigued. "Like what?"

"Apparently, there's some pretty secret places hidden throughout the castle. I plan on finding them." Noah said, his tone eager. Scorpius grinned widely, excited, and even Roshni shared a curious smirk.

"I'm late, sorry, James was being a royal prick!" Albus announced as he arrived, out of breath and red faced. "What'd I miss?"

The younger of the Potter students had finally grown into his unruly hair a little bit, the black locks no longer falling too heavily into his face. His blue green eyes were wide with a contagious giddiness. He too, like everyone else, had shot up like a weed, his shoulders knocking evenly with Scorpius'.

"Not much." Roshni said slowly. "Except apparently Noah got told about some new secret places and now plans to explore them."

"Well, I may have just the thing to help." Albus sang, reaching into the bag at his side stealthily. His fingers grabbed onto something and Scorpius could see the edge of a thickly folded piece of parchment.

"Not scheming for trouble over here, are we?" Harry and Theodore made their presence known and the parchment was abandoned inside Albus' bag, all four Second Years shaking their heads in the negative.

"Good. Wouldn't want to send off you four with a scolding." Harry chuckled. "Al, Scor, go find your mothers, they were just fussing about you."

"See you on the train!" Scorpius called as he pushed through the crowd towards Hermione. She was standing by the fifth car, Rhianon perched daintily on her hip still. He launched himself at her free side, hugging as tight as he could.

"Be good this year." Hermione murmured into his hair. She had won the battle on his haircut weeks ago. "Stay out of trouble, and study hard."

"I will." He nodded and squeezed with his arms once more. "I promise."

"Good." She kissed the top of his head and swung Rhianon down from her hip. Scorpius took his sister carefully, holding the baby close to his chest as he rocked her back and forth the tiniest bit.

"If I have to be good so do you." He whispered, smiling when one tiny arm was flung up at his face. Hermione leaned into Theodore's side heavily, her eyes watery as she looked upon her children. The train broke the chatter over the entire platform and sliced through the family moment, the whistle piercing the air. Scorpius looked over his shoulder happily, passing Rhianon back to Hermione and hugging his mother one more time before giving Theodore a quick embrace as well.

"Write us when you get there!" Theodore called after the blond boy. Scorpius waved in acknowledgement and searched frantically for his friends. Noah was clinging to the railing of the steps that led into the ninth car, one arm fully extended as he leaned out over the crowd. Scorpius jumped up beside him, Roshni standing behind them as she waited for Albus to find an empty compartment. At the dark haired boy's yell, she tapped Scorpius and Noah's shoulder to get them inside the train.

The compartment easily fit all four of them, Noah and Scorpius taking one bench while Roshni and Albus spread across the other. Soon they were deep in laughter and discussing plans on how to best find the secret places Noah had been told about, and the compartment was filled with admiring gasps and exclamations when Albus produced his earlier secret- the Marauder's Map.

James, Fred, and Teddy all made guest appearances, each with some empty insult or harmless dig to trade with the Second Years. Teddy sat for a long while, entertaining Noah and Roshni with his shape shifting abilities. Fred stopped by merely to see if there were any sweets left over, and James had asked Albus to trade their father's relics halfway through the year. When he started to ask about Quidditch, Albus promptly kicked the Fourth Year in the shins and pushed him out of the compartment.

"He was bugging me all summer about Slytherin plays!" Albus complained. "Like I'd tell him!" He snorted and fell back against the cushion of the bench. "He doesn't know I snuck into his room and found his playbook, though."

"And you wonder why you got Sorted into Slytherin." Noah scoffed, unwrapping a Licorice Wand he had hidden from Fred. He snapped it in half and tossed a piece to Scorpius. "How's your uh, you know, condition coming along?"

"It's fine." Scorpius shrugged, uncaring that his friends knew about and discussed his illness so casually. "Had a small scare on a day trip to Diagon Alley but Theo took care of it. Mum's worried about me trying out for Quidditch, says it might accelerate the effects, but I want to try."

"Well, if you start to shrivel up, I nominate Rosh to do the honors." Albus said quickly. "I've dealt with it enough already."

"Thanks, Al, so supportive." Scorpius rolled his eyes at Albus, who stuck out his tongue. Roshni nodded her head.

"I don't mind. Perhaps you could give each of us a vial or two in case of emergencies?"

"You won't need to carry around bottles of the stuff, Rosh!" Scorpius laughed. "I really only have to take it once every two weeks or so, for now."

"For now?" Noah asked, one side of his face puffed out as he stuffed more candy into his mouth.

"Yeah, apparently it's supposed to get worse with time, so I'll probably be up to two bottles a week by Seventh Year. Maybe. Theo's working on funding research for it but…we'll see." Scorpius shrugged and motioned to the box of Every Flavor Beans. "You picked through those yet?"

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please let me know what you think! Can't wait to hear from you all!


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Alrighty here's another chapter! Something about spring coming up is making me exhausted. I have like, no energy for some reason.

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><p>"They posted the roster in the Common Room!" Albus flew into the room he shared with Scorpius and Noah, the two startled boys recovering and jumping from their desks. The trio raced down the boys' hallway, bursting into the Common Room to try and see the Quidditch tryouts results. A crowd of Third, Fourth, and Fifth Years were gathered around the parchment posted by the chessboard, a few celebratory whoops and high fives going through the small mob. Albus somehow elbowed his way to the front, Scorpius in his wake.<p>

**SLYTHERIN QUIDDITCH TEAM, 2013-2014 SEASON  
><strong>_Malori Davis- Keeper, 7_  
><em>Aleksandr Dolohov- Beater, 7<em>  
><em>Benton Ross- Beater, 6<em>  
><em>Coty Bletchley- Chaser, 5<em>  
><em>Sven Montague- Chaser, 4<em>  
><em>Albus Potter- Chaser, 2<em>  
><em>Scorpius Granger- Seeker, 2<em>  
><strong>ALTERNATES<br>**_Parker Derrick- Keeper, 5_  
><em>Andrei Bole- Beater, 6<em>  
><em>Galen Higgs- Beater, 3<em>  
><em>Ophelia Vanity- Chaser, 5<em>  
><em>Sean Warrington- Chaser, 2<em>  
><em>Doug Crockett- Chaser, 4<em>  
><em>Niall Selwyn- Seeker, 2<em>

"You made it!" Albus cheered loudly, slapping Scorpius' hand in an enthusiastic high five as the blond kept gaping at the parchment. "You beat out Selwyn and Lament! And Lament is a Sixth Year! And he started last year!"

"Mal was generous giving spots away this year, I see." Alek brooded from the couch, once again picking at his nails with a pocketknife. "Two starting Second Years. It's unheard of for Slytherin."

"Maybe we're just that good." Albus retorted hotly. Scorpius put a placating hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Maybe it's just to start the season off." Scorpius reasoned, hoping to draw the dark look on Alek's face from Albus' direction. "You know, just to see how it goes."

"Perhaps." Alek stood, twirling his pocketknife in his fingers easily. The muscular boy looked down his nose at the two Second Years. Albus drew himself up to his full height, still falling hilariously short of Alek's shoulder. "But maybe you should be careful. Practice can be rough." The Seventh Year's upper lip curled dangerously at Albus, obsidian eyes turning to Scorpius quickly. "See you on the pitch."

"He's not half as scary as he thinks he is." Albus growled, shaking Scorpius' hand from his shoulder. He waited for Alek to disappear from the Common Room before continuing. "Stupid bloody pureblooded son of a Death Eater."

"Albus!" It was Noah who gasped, shocked, at Albus' choice of an insult. The dark haired boy was positively snarling, his hands curled into fists at his sides. "You can't say stuff like that!"

"Oh yes I can." Albus snapped. "He deserves it, bloody stupid thick headed prat. I've seen that name before, I know what his family did!"

"Al, calm down."

"You should be furious too!" Albus spun, his finger in Scorpius' face. "It was his dad that cursed your mum in the Department of Mysteries!"

"Al, she never told me about any of that. Not once." Scorpius said quietly. "I don't have a reason to be mad." Albus seemed slightly put off by Scorpius' admission. "Besides, he's probably just upset. He and Lament were friends."

"Well it still doesn't give him the right to threaten us." Albus scowled.

"Nor for you to call him a Death Eater." Noah countered. Albus rolled his eyes, his frown deepening. "A lot of people are still jumpy about that, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Albus waved a hand and turned so his back was to the fireplace. "I'm going to go and find James. You want to come?"

"I'm good." Noah declined. Scorpius shook his head as well, sinking into the couch with a long exhale. Albus shrugged and left the Common Room quickly, still worked up. "He's a nightmare sometimes, really."

"It's the Weasley in him." Scorpius offered lamely, barely chuckling. "Say, Noah, how much do you know about the pureblooded stuff anyway?"

"A good bit." Noah fell into the cushion next to Scorpius' own, summoning the chessboard over to their seats. "My mum and dad never picked a side, really, with the last War, but my grandparents and great-grandparents were on the Dark side from what I gather. We're all pureblooded, as far back as I can trace anyway. My grandfather was nearly a Death Eater but my grandmother threatened to divorce him if he did, and they had taken a blood bond so he would have died. My dad was too busy focusing on his schooling to really care about the Second War." Noah moved his pawn and waited for Scorpius. "Why?"

"It's something that the Sorting Hat said to me, last year, when we were being placed." Scorpius rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the chessboard. "It said I was pureblood."

"Isn't your mum muggle born?"

"Yeah, she is."

"So then you'd be half, at least." Noah countered Scorpius' last move easily and advanced his knight. "What was your dad?"

"That's the thing." Scorpius held his rook in his hand, squeezing tightly around the tower shaped piece. "I don't know who my father is."

* * *

><p>"That's all I could find on purebloods of the Light during the Second War." Noah dropped a stack of six books on Scorpius' desk. "And I convinced ol' Pince to let me keep them through Christmas."<p>

"Really?" Scorpius flipped open the first book, thumbing through the pages. "You didn't have to do this, Noah."

"Yeah, but I figured it would be better than Albus' tactic." Noah ruffled his hair, which had grown out over the last three months, and imitated Albus. "'Hey, you don't happen to know if you got a family friend with pure blood who looks like this idiot, do ya?'"

"You're right." Scorpius laughed and began shrinking the books to a decent size, placing them on one side of his desk. "Al didn't really have the best stock to inherit tact from."

"A Potter and a Weasley?" Noah snorted. "The kid was doomed. Say, where is he, anyhow?"

"He had a study date with Rosh, or something." Scorpius shrugged. Noah grinned. "What?"

"I'm making that call now. Those two will be in love by Fifth Year."

"Gross, Noah. It's _Rosh_." Scorpius emphasized the girl's name as if he was trying to make a point and Noah held his hands up in surrender. "Besides, she can barely stand Al. And he's only studying with her because Professor Longbottom made him."

"Yeah, yeah, like he put up a real fuss." Noah shrugged and flopped onto his bed. "You know, one year, I'm going to stay here for Christmas."

"Me too, I think." Scorpius scratched just above his left eyebrow, going back to reading the text on the precautions one should take when brewing potions to prevent explosions. His essay for Professor Finnegan was nearly completed. "Mum will have a fit, but I want to stay here one year. I think it would be cool."

"Yeah, and think of all the secret places we could really find! Plus unlimited Hogsmeade trips." Noah sighed wistfully. "I can't wait until we can go."

"One more year." Scorpius chuckled and ran his finger along a line of text in his book, his left hand scribbling notes furiously.

"So your mum never really talks about your dad?"

"Not once." Scorpius moved the tip of his quill to the space between his lips, nibbling gently. "I remember asking her about him, once, when I was little. All she said was that I didn't need one and that she would be enough for me on her own. And, I mean, Theo had been with us since I was seven anyways."

"What's that like, having a stepfather?"

"Well…" Scorpius shrugged noncommittally. "I wouldn't really know. I mean, he and Mum only married before I went to school. But he's good, to me, and to Mum. And to Rhianon. He's very…proper."

"And he was a Slytherin?"

"Yeah, but he never fought in the Second War." Scorpius thought for a moment. "Or at least he never talks about it. My Uncle Ron isn't convinced that Theo didn't do something during it. But Uncle Ron is…different."

"I can only imagine what it was like, growing up in your house." Noah laughed and turned on his side, his head propped up in his hand. His free hand drifted down towards the floor, his fingers wiggling as to entice Scorpius' familiar to come across the room for a petting. "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. My parents talked about them like they were heroes. Well, I mean, they are, but you know what I mean. Doesn't it go to your head? You know, you're the son of Hermione Granger."

"Nah." Scorpius grinned over his shoulder at Noah. "That's what James and Al are for."

* * *

><p>"Have a nice Christmas?" Roshni asked, linking arms casually with Scorpius and Noah. She was pointedly ignoring Albus for some reason and the Potter boy was scowling because of it.<p>

"Great!" Noah replied. "Mum and Dad took me slope skiing in Italy and then we did some cross country in Russia. Saw a few monasteries in Tibet too!"

"Sounds lovely. And you, Scorpius?"

"It was on par with the rest. You know, a dinner here, a breakfast there, tons of Weasley sweaters, a few games of pick up Quidditch, and only one Christmas tree fire scare." Scorpius laughed as he thought back on Christmas Eve and how Louis and Fred wouldn't stop wrestling with each other, eventually knocking Granmamma Molly's Christmas tree over and nearly into the fireplace. Roshni chuckled, her eyes lighting on Albus for a moment. She made a show of turning back towards Scorpius.

"And your birthday?"

"Just a birthday." He shrugged, uncaring. "Got some nice presents. Including the Thundercloud Seventy Six."

"What?!" Noah and Albus shouted, their eyes bugging out of their heads.

"It's only in pre-production stages as is!"

"How'd you get one?"

"Can I fly it?"

"Forget flying it, can I just look at it?"

"Theo got it for me." Scorpius smirked at his two friends. "He has a friend that used to work in the Quidditch League, but now peddles a few major brooms companies for the League instead. The Seventy Six is going to hit the market in two weeks and Theo managed to get his hands on one a month ahead of time for my birthday."

"You're so lucky." Noah grumbled. "I'm still pushing around a Lightning Strike Fifty One."

"Better than a handed down Nimbus Five Thousand." Albus grumbled. It was no secret that he detested getting James' hand-me-downs, but in a family of seven, it was bound to happen. Aunt Ginny had grown up that way and it had turned into a hard habit to break, despite Uncle Harry's best efforts. "Honestly, the thing is missing a few bristles and you know how that affects steering!"

"Well I didn't even take it out over break, so the first time I'll be on it is practice tomorrow." Scorpius revealed. Noah quickly proclaimed that he would be in attendance and Roshni muttered something along the lines of the same.

"You have to let me take a lap or two." Albus demanded, almost pleadingly.

"Fair enough."

* * *

><p>"If you keep this up, we'll be in possession of the Quidditch Cup for the next five years, easy!" Albus yelled over the noise of the celebratory party in the Slytherin Common Room. Scorpius grinned from ear to ear, holding on to the small golden Snitch he had caught in the earlier game against Hufflepuff. Slytherin had edged them out, 370-350, thanks to a miraculous catch of the Snitch in the ninety seventh minute. Scorpius was sporting a blackened eye and bruised ribs because of the physicality of the game, but he had managed to outmaneuver the Sixth Year Hufflepuff girl and get the Snitch out from under her nose.<p>

"That was a wicked last dive, Granger!" Mal approached the two Second Years with a slightly tipsy lilt in her voice. "You, Potter, those sixty points you put up were brilliant. You two, you could carry this team by your Fifth Year, you know. Hell, maybe even by your Fourth!" She hiccupped and pulled the two boys into a fiercely strong hug. "Second again! My two years as captain are the highest scoring for Slytherin since I've been here!"

The night was full of similar sentiments, several upperclassmen congratulating Albus and Scorpius on their flying and point totals. Even the alternates were impressed, not the least bit upset at not having the chance to play even though the Second Years were fairly roughed up. In addition to Scorpius' black eye and bruised ribcage, his middle and ring finger on his right hand were in a splint and his left knee kept giving out. Albus had a split lip, a deep cut that bisected his right eyebrow, and the last few remnants of a concussion, plus his shoulder was once again cooled off by a charm. Roshni had had a fit when her friends had walked off the pitch, setting them as straight as she could with her own healing charms while Noah sniggered in the background.

"You two." Scorpius looked over Albus' shoulder to see Alek standing behind the Potter boy, arms crossed over his much too large chest. Albus turned, his jaw already set in a determined fashion. Scorpius stepped up level with Albus, waiting for Alek to continue. "You two aren't all that bad, after this tournament. Perhaps you're better flyers than I thought."

"Yeah well, glad we could prove you wrong." Albus said, just a hint of a snappy tone to his words. Alek smirked and Scorpius held out his hand.

"You were a fantastic Beater." Scorpius complimented, adding a grin for good measure.

"Kiss arse." Albus muttered as Alek shook the blond's hand and then Albus'. Scorpius elbowed Albus to shut him up.

"Keep playing hard. If you can take a beating like that in the air as Second Years, I'll come back in a few years and see how the damage gets dealt when you're older." Alek nodded once at the duo before him and then stalked off, his hulking figure swallowed by the still crazy crowd in the Common Room.

* * *

><p>"Don't forget to write!" Roshni hollered as she left the three boys under the seventh lantern on Platform 9 and ¾. Noah snorted, tossing his sand colored locks out of his eyes.<p>

"We never do, when will she catch on?" Albus muttered to no one in particular. Scorpius allowed himself one last laugh with the boys and then raced off to find his mother, sister, and Theodore. They were all waiting for him by the entrance, all smiling and ready for their hugs. He dealt them out to Hermione and Theodore quickly, turning his attention wholly to little Rhianon. At a year and three months, the little girl had blossomed a head full of beautiful golden brown curls that made her inherited peridot eyes pop like mad. Her cherub cheeks were plumped out by her smile as she babbled happily at her brother, who insisted on carrying her off the platform and into Diagon Alley. As she bounced, Rhianon showed off her newest trick and tugged on Scorpius' hair while she did so.

"Scor, Scor, Scor, Scor." Her high pitched giggle was as sweet as ever. Scorpius looked over his shoulder and grinned radiantly at Hermione and Theodore, the family reunited for the summer.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Let me know what you think, I'll try to get this next chapter cranked out fairly quickly.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: **Okay so, a bit of a longer note than usual here- First off, I just want to reiterate that I could not be any more thrilled about the fact that you guys have been so supportive and awesome with your feedback! I really love all of the reviews, follows, and favorites you all shower me with and I just can't wait to get out more chapters to you! Your feedback = my go juice.  
>Second- I know a lot of you have been asking about when Scorpius will get the 'big reveal' about Draco. Here's the thing- I am so completely at the mercy of my muse right now. She had painted a perfect picture of how this was gonna go down and of course, she has changed her mind about four times. So now I have three or so different scenarios that I can run with...one would have the reveal in the next chapter, option two would be in about three chapters, and option four would be towards the end of the story. Now, obviously, with each reveal comes a different thread for Scorpius so...I'm still deciding what I want to do with him. Ugh. If anyone has any kind of feedback on this (even if it's just "tell him NOW") I'll gladly take it so I can shut my head up.<p>

Okay. I think that's it.  
>(On a completely unrelated note, I'm watching Armageddon at the moment and may I just say, Jason Isaacs looks almost as good in glasses as he does with blond hair. I need a fan, or something.)<br>ENJOY!

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><p>"You got tall!"<p>

"And you got…um…" Albus blushed vividly as he gestured to Roshni and her new girlish figure, a few much more noticeable curves sticking out in all the right places. She laughed and, despite their awkwardness, tossed her arms around his shoulders for a hug. She had quite a reach, as he had just cleared five feet and she was still a good handful of inches shorter than he. It was obvious that she was destined to be tiny.

"Scorpius!" Roshni had the advantage of being able to see over Albus' shoulder, throwing herself from the first boy to the second in another tight hug. "You haven't grown a bit!"

"Well not all of us got lucky enough to eat fertilizer on a dare." Scorpius grinned at Albus, who scowled at the reminder of Fred and Teddy's awful teasing in July.

"What, Potter couldn't figure out how to make his mouth any more foul?" Noah asked as he approached the group, his hair once again cropped in close to his skull. Roshni gave him a once up and down look before launching a hug at him as well. "I see we're losing in the height department here, Scor."

"S'alright." The blond shrugged carelessly. "I'll still end up better looking than the git."

"Hey!" Albus shouted indignantly. "You take that back or I'll make your nose crooked!"

"Oh please Albus, everyone knows you'll be the poster boy." Noah snorted, one hand running over his shorn hair uneasily.

"Boys, you're all forgetting the real flower here." Roshni motioned to herself and the three boys shared a look before bursting into laughter. She huffed and stomped her foot. "Well, fine! But see if I help you when all of a sudden you like all my friends!" She spun on her heel and marched towards the train, her nose held high in the air.

"You don't think…" Albus began slowly, his eyes narrowing at the girl's retreating figure. "D'you think she meant it?"

"Course she did." Noah nudged Albus with his shoulder roughly to get the dark haired boy moving. "But she'll come running back in a week or so."

"How do you figure?" Scorpius asked, blowing one last uncharacteristically cute kiss over his shoulder to his little sister. Noah grinned, a lopsided smile that only showed half of his teeth. Scorpius' head turned to the right, where a pack of girls had started whispering and giggling almost as soon as Noah had changed his expression.

"She couldn't keep her eyes off our Chaser here."

"Oh, shove off!" Albus growled. The faintest hint of a blush crept up from his neck, however, and Scorpius found himself in stitches with Noah as the three tried to find an empty compartment on the train.

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><p>"Alison's staring at you again." Scorpius told Noah as they sat in Charms class three weeks later. "And she keeps making this noise. Like, sighing."<p>

"Really?" Noah spun halfway in his seat, catching the intense stare of Alison Spinnet. The Hufflepuff girl let out a squeak at being caught and ducked behind her long mane of glossy black hair, her face sufficiently reddened. "Huh."

"She's done it all day!" Scorpius whispered. "I don't get it! It's like all the girls have gone off their rocker." He glanced around the room again, letting out a noise of discontent when he spotted Sienna Kirke of Gryffindor making the same girlishly round and doe like eyes at his roommate. "What did you do?"

"Damned if I know!" Noah muttered back. "Is Alison still looking?" Scorpius chanced a look and shook his head. Noah peeked around, dark eyes flitting from face to face. "Verity Robins is staring at you now."

"What?" Scorpius ducked his head behind Noah's shoulder, concentrating on his work. He peered around the other boy's arm carefully, yanking his head back when he locked eyes with the redheaded Ravenclaw.

"They've all gone mental." Noah concluded as he finished taking notes. The two boys quickly packed their parchment and texts, nearly running from the class to try and find Albus in the hallway. When they found him, they stopped short in their tracks.

He was leaning casually against one of the pillars that led into the small courtyard between Charms and Transfiguration, talking with a circle of girls as if holding court. He was making small motions with the arm not supporting his weight, obviously regaling the girls with a story about his Quidditch prowess. When he happened to look up and see his friends, he stopped talking and waved them over.

"Hello boys!" Albus swept a hand over the small crowd that had gathered before him. A mix of all House ties were standing in a semi-circle, the same wide and vaguely glassy expressions on all of their faces. "Just telling the girls here about a few Quidditch moves I've been working on."

"Al, we need to talk." Scorpius grabbed his friend's sleeve and yanked him into the courtyard. Noah followed, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to see if the girls had left yet. They hadn't and were instead trying to find a column behind which to hide and eavesdrop.

"What's the matter?" Albus asked as he took in the looks of concern on Scorpius and Noah's faces.

"The girls have all gone mental!" Scorpius hissed. "I caught Alison and Sienna staring at Noah in Charms class, and then Verity was staring at me! It's like they've all been hit with some crazy kind of love potion!" The blond boy flapped his arms to try and make his point more emphatically. Albus looked to Noah for further explanation.

"They have this weird look, like they're daydreaming or something, but they only do it when they look at a boy!" Noah confessed, worry drenching every word he spoke. Albus nodded slowly.

"I think…" Albus started, tapping a finger against his chin. "I think the girls have finally given in to the Wrackspurts."

"The…what?" Scorpius frowned, confused. Albus nodded as if it were completely normal to talk about a mythical creature. "The devil is a Wrackspurt?"

"It clouds your head. My Aunt Luna told me all about them, said they could make your brain fuzzy if you weren't careful." It was then Albus' turn to frown. "You don't think there's an infestation, do you?"

"There might be!" Noah whispered quickly. "Because I can hear them all giggling!"

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><p>"Al!" Scorpius shook Albus' arm for the fifth time in their shared Potions class. Albus had been staring listlessly across the dungeon classroom at Lilian Suaveterre, a Ravenclaw, and she had been returning the favor eagerly. "Snap out of it, mate!'<p>

"Sorry." Albus shook his head, smiling at Lilian, and then turned his attention to the potion they were supposed to be brewing.

"I'm starting to think you were right about the Wrackspurts or whatever." Scorpius muttered. "You've caught them, I'm afraid."

"Nose down." Albus retorted, sneaking another glance at Lilian. She was whispering to her assigned partner. Albus cocked his head to one side, stirring the cauldron without paying it any real mind. "She's got pretty eyes, don't you think?"

"What?" Scorpius looked up from chopping the root in his grasp to look over his shoulder at Lilian. "Pretty eyes? Have you…You've gone round the bend, entirely." Scorpius shifted his gaze a few tables over, where Filippa Rivero of Hufflepuff was stirring her concoction. She met his gaze levelly, her eyes as blue as the sky had been earlier that morning. Her chocolate ringlets were pinned back against the sides of her head and when she noticed that Scorpius was staring, her cheeks took on a pink tinge as she averted her eyes suddenly. Scorpius shook his head again, as if trying to clear cobwebs from his mind, and spun to face Albus.

"Right, I've gone mental." Albus snickered. Scorpius glared at him, going back to cutting up his root. From the next table over Noah made a soft hissing noise to grab their attention. Scorpius and Albus leaned over to listen to him.

"Diana Bulgarelli told Marta Thomas that she heard Briseis Church talking to Anna Kaminski in the bathroom before class about wanting to go to Hogsmeade with you, Albus!" Noah whispered quickly. Scorpius was confused for a moment, trying to work out the details. Albus frowned for a second and then burst into a wide smile.

"Briseis, the Gryffindor?"

"You know another one?" Noah replied swiftly. "So I have a plan." He glanced around the classroom and then scooted over to join his friends at their table. "In order to get Albus to ask Briseis, we'll have to take her friends, Scorpius. So, do you want to ask Anna or Adriana Pace?"

"Neither!" Scorpius laughed, rolling his eyes. "I don't want to go with some stupid girl to Hogsmeade!"

"Fine, suit yourself." Noah turned more towards to Albus. "I'll ask Anna then, and you can ask Briseis at lunch."

"Wait, you're going to seriously do this?" Scorpius put down his chopping knife and fixed Noah with an incredulous stare. Noah nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, didn't you hear?" Noah leaned in closer, as if he had a serious secret. "Niall went with Marta to Hogsmeade last weekend and she let him kiss her!"

And, as if a switch had been flipped on the inside, Scorpius found himself wondering exactly what a Hogsmeade trip with a girl would be like.

At lunch Scorpius joined Albus at the Slytherin table while Noah strode confidently to the other side of the Great Hall, to the Gryffindor table, where he proceeded to slip into a seat between Briseis and Anna. Both girls gave him odd looks at first but then Anna bloomed a brilliant shade of crimson and gave him a tiny nod. Noah broke into a wide grin and all but skipped back to the Slytherin table, his mission an astounding success.

"That's it?" Scorpius asked, unsure. "That's all you have to do?"

"Sure. Just ask. Go on!" Noah gave him a shove towards the Gryffindor table and Scorpius pulled nervously at his tie, trying to find some breathing room. By the time he got to the red and gold table, he was sure he was purple in the face. He waved at the three girls, looking across the table at Adriana. She was a cute little thing, with stick straight blonde hair and too big brown eyes that reminded Scorpius of the deer that sometimes wandered onto the Manor property.

"Um, Adriana, do you, maybe, want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" It came out surprisingly easy, just as Noah said it would, and Scorpius felt his chest empty of the breath he had been holding when the propositioned girl blushed but nodded with a meek acceptance. "Great!" He had to remind himself not to sprint back to the Slytherin table.

"Alright Al, you're up." Noah patted the boy's back and Albus took a deep breath, steeling himself for the walk across the Great Hall. He had just made it to the other table when Roshni entered the Great Hall, instantly joining Noah and Scorpius at their table.

"Hello boys." She followed their gazes across the room to the interaction between Albus and Briseis. "What's going on?"

"Al is asking Briseis to Hogsmeade this weekend." Scorpius answered. Roshni paused in her motion of setting her books on the table, her face falling. Scorpius watched as the flash of hurt flew through her eyes and then she forced a smile onto her face.

"Well, hope she says yes." Roshni said stiffly. "Girl has only been yammering on about him for weeks now." Her tone was thick, as if trying to make the words get past the tip of her tongue. Scorpius frowned, unsure of what had just transpired.

"She said yes!" Albus nearly whooped in celebration as he rejoined his friends. Noah congratulated him heartily and Scorpius did as well. Roshni merely smiled and offered a small token of her congratulations before hardening her smile once more and immersing herself in the books she had brought.

Scorpius wanted desperately to ask the girl what was wrong, but settled for a hand on her wrist and a comforting grin.

* * *

><p>Scorpius' first kiss was more of a surprise than anything.<p>

He was walking hand in hand with Adriana Pace of Gryffindor on the way back from Hogsmeade, the pair trying to keep up with the tempo set by Albus and Briseis. The curly haired brunette friend of Adriana's apparently wasn't shy about affection and had been clinging to Albus' arm since the start of their date. Noah's own temporarily attached girl tumor, Anna, had been the next to sidle up and be cozy with her Slytherin, and it was only par for the course that Adriana do the same.

Which is how Scorpius found himself, along with Adriana, bringing up the rear of the procession back towards the castle. Albus and Briseis, ever the trend setters, were walking hand in hand and chatting amiably. Noah and Anna were following suit, hands clasped in a friendly manner as they trotted along. Scorpius had blindly taken Adriana's hand, as he assumed it were natural, and despite her somewhat sweaty palms, he held on as they walked. The girl had blushed an unflattering shade of violent red, her skin clashing with the pink hairband she wore.

When they reached the last walking bridge before the castle, Adriana tugged on his hand to get him to stop. For the first time since they had met up in the village, Scorpius really stopped to look at her. It wasn't that she was ugly- far from it, actually- but there was nothing about her that made him comfortable with what was going to inevitably happen.

"I had a nice time today." She was lying, of course, because he had barely spoken six words to her the entire day. She had spent most of her talking time with Anna and he with Noah.

"Me too." His lie was much less believable but she smiled girlishly anyway and did a swaying motion with both hands clasped in front of her, like some sort of gussied up doll.

"I like you, Scorpius." And with that, her hands, still slightly sweaty, were planted on either side of his face and she mashed her mouth to his without ceremony. His eyes sprung wide open, shocked, and he nearly jumped backwards out of his skin. He was fairly certain her enthusiasm had chipped one of his teeth, and her lips were coated in the shiny pink gloss Anna had passed around earlier so they stuck to his horribly and left a residue on his mouth that he tasted for days.

* * *

><p>"How on earth do you break up with a girl?" Scorpius asked as he sat with Roshni, Albus, and Noah in the Common Room sometime in March. Roshni glanced up from her essay on the benefits of human to animal transfiguration, her brow furrowed. Albus paused in his move on the chessboard, Noah taking advantage of the distraction to hastily slide a pawn over a few squares.<p>

"Finally tired of Adriana?"

"More like overwhelmed." Scorpius threw his head back against the cushion behind his back, letting out a long sigh. "We sit next to each other in class, at the same table for lunch and dinner, walk to every class together, and then the kissing. It's tedious!"

"I hardly think the girl would appreciate being called tedious." Roshni sniffed. "Perhaps you should tell her outright."

"And what, have her cry on me?" Scorpius whipped his head back up. Albus and Noah shook their heads rapidly back and forth.

"Trust me Scor, you don't want to deal with a crying girl!" Albus shuddered as if overcome with a bad memory. "All tears and slobber and just….eugh."

"Look, the way I broke it off with Anna was simple." Noah moved his rook around on the chessboard. "Tell her you fancy someone else."

"But I don't!"

"So lie!"

"Don't you dare lie to that nice girl." Roshni said angrily. "Honestly, the lot of you!" She gathered her books, gave them all one last withering glare, and then stormed off to her room. Scorpius looked after her for a moment and then turned back to Noah and Albus.

"Well there goes the only voice of relative reason around here."

"Oh, whatever. She's moody." Albus waved his hand dismissively and then instructed his queen to the opposite side of the board to win the game. Noah swore creatively under his breath and leaned back in his chair, upset at being beaten for the fifth time in a row.

"This is your fault, Noah." Scorpius groaned, dragging his hands down his face in misery. "I wouldn't be in this spot if you hadn't made me ask her to Hogsmeade."

"Well I'm not breaking up with her for you!" Noah said simply. "Had to go through that on my own with Anna and she still won't look at me right."

"Probably because you told her that you thought Al liked her and then dumped her when Al wasn't even interested!" Scorpius sputtered. Albus chuckled and Noah shrugged his shoulders. "Merlin help me!"

"It's not that hard." Albus drawled. "Just tell her you don't like her anymore."

"Or that you've gone and turned into a pouf."

"Or that she gives you the creeps."

"Or that you can't date Gryffindors anymore."

"You two are no help whatsoever." Scorpius stated resolutely, standing from the couch and heading for the exit.

"Where you going?" Albus called as he reset the chessboard.

"To break up with a stupid girl!"

Scorpius returned two hours later with a nice handprint on his cheek and a scowl on his mouth. Albus and Noah tried to hide their giggles behind their pillows.

"What'd you say?" Albus finally wheezed. Noah wiped under his eyes, attempting to rid himself of his tears from laughing. Scorpius glared at his friends as he sat at his desk and took off his shoes.

"That I liked someone else."

"Did she ask who?" Noah panted, fanning his face while Scorpius gingerly poked at his own bruise.

"Of course she did!" Scorpius whined, flinging his tie across the room. Albus leaned forward on his bunk, eager to hear who the culprit was. Scorpius groaned and held his head in his hands.

"Well?" Noah prodded.

"Filippa Rivero."

Albus and Noah cackled with glee as they fell into another fit of hysterics. Scorpius took his pillow as a weapon and dealt out a few good and hard whacks to his roommates, an all-out brawl commencing moments later.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Alrighty well...please leave me a review and let me know what you think I should do about this dilemma, preferably before I strangle my muse out of frustration. She's being...witchy.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Okay so I think I have managed to wrestle my muse into something we can both agree on for the storyline. Hopefully you all like it as well. I think it kind of has a bit of a choppy flow to it but...it's what my muse and I agreed on and while it may not be my best work I think it's better than what I had tried to do. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!

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><p>"You think your dad will be pissed about this?"<p>

"Course not. I go in here all the time."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Besides, he's out at some Quidditch match or something. Took Mum for the day." Noah slowly pulled back one of the frosted glass doors, revealing the darkly decorated study that belonged to Noah's father. The entire room seemed to be made of wood, a lingering hint of cigar smoke swirling through the thick air. Scorpius and Albus flanked either side of him, all three boys stepping inside the dim study with careful feet.

"Salazar's pants, is that real?" Albus asked, awestruck, as he admired a light silver mask encased in glass on a shelf to their right. The mask was etched with beautiful designs that sent a shiver of something malicious through Scorpius' spine. Two black holes were carved into the mask where someone's eyes would go. Scorpius took a closer step, his eyes tracing the etchings carefully.

"Yeah it is." Noah bodily shuddered. "It was my greatgrandfather's during the First Wizarding War."

"What is it?" Scorpius asked, two fingers touching the glass as he continued to stare. Albus stepped up beside the blond, swallowing thickly.

"A Death Eater mask." Noah replied, moving behind his father's desk and wrenching open a drawer. "I know he keeps a bottle in here somewhere."

"This is beyond wicked. I've never seen one this close before." Albus stared at the mask behind the glass as Scorpius moved down the shelves, looking at the collections of pictures. A few were of Noah's family, more were of his parents at different points in their marriage, but the one that caught Scorpius' eye was tucked behind two photos of elderly couples.

Three rows of black cloaked people stood perfectly still in the picture, a silver mask tucked under each left arm. Scorpius moved the two photos in front to the side, picking up the picture he was interested in. He felt another shiver, much like the first, race down his spine and then back up into the hairs on the back of his neck. In the second row a tall man with perfectly white blond hair stared almost soullessly out of the picture, slate grey eyes unmoving.

"Death Eaters, probably around 1979 or so." Noah said as he saw the picture Scorpius was holding. "That's my grandfather, third row, fifth from the right. My grandmother made him quit a few weeks after that picture was taken." He held two bottles of dark brown Firewhiskey in his hands, his search successful.

"Who is this man?" Scorpius asked as he pointed to the figure with white hair. Noah's face scrunched as he tried to remember.

"Oh yeah. That's Lucius. Lucius Malfoy. He was part of the inner circle. Pretty vicious man, from what I understand. Offered his own son up for service when he was only fifteen." Noah blew out a breath and passed a bottle over to Albus. The dark haired boy uncorked it and took a few brave swallows.

"Malfoy, you said?" Scorpius repeated, looking to Noah for confirmation.

"Yeah, why?" Noah unstopped his own bottle and threw back a mouthful of the alcohol. He grimaced at the taste but kept it down before offering the bottle to Scorpius. The blond boy closed his hand around the neck of the container, lifting it to his lips.

"Just curious." Scorpius answered before dumping a hefty amount of liquid into his mouth.

The slate grey eyes in the photo, so like his own, bored deep into his brain as he replaced the picture on the shelf, the echoes of the Sorting Hat's words from his First Year ringing in his ears.

The following day found Scorpius and attacked him with a staggering headache, a ridiculously dry mouth, and barely there motor functions. Albus and Noah were in the same boat, the two empty Firewhiskey bottles tossed carelessly on the floor of Noah's bedroom. Scorpius groaned and buried his face in his arms, wishing away his misery. A similar moan of pain echoed from somewhere over to his left, where Albus was slumped against the side of Noah's bed.

"Buggering hell." Albus finally managed to say, one eye cracked against the sunlight coming in from the window. Noah mumbled something in agreement and covered his head with a pillow as he rested on the mattress. Scorpius curled up on his side, akin to the fetal position, and let out another long and agonized moan.

"I don't ever want to drink again." Scorpius whined, his hands threading through his hair in a desperate attempt to remove the headache from his skull. Albus nodded slowly and then rolled his shoulders forward as his cheeks puffed out, a hand clapping over his mouth as if he were going to be sick. A sound that resembled a dying animal escaped from Noah as the boy rolled onto his back. Albus choked down whatever it was that was ailing him and gasped for air, eying the two bottles on the floor angrily.

"That was both the best and worst idea you have ever had." Noah grinned when Albus commended him weakly. "Bloody brilliant, but also really, really dumb. I'd punch you, if I could reach."

"I'd almost let you." Noah laughed out loud this time and so did Scorpius for a moment before his headache kicked in mightily.

"D'you think your dad came back?" Albus asked as he started to climb to his feet. He clutched the nightstand hard, his knuckles white as he got steady on his legs. Finally he was sturdily standing, although with a bit of a tilt to the left, and he looked around the room as he let out a low whistle.

"Probably not." Noah sat up in his bed, rubbing one eye with a fist as he yawned. Scorpius stayed put on the floor, unwilling to fight the torture in his skull.

"Good thing we brought that up here. We sort of wrecked the place." Albus laughed as he took in the overturned chair at the desk, the scattered books and papers on the floor, and the mess of Noah's trunk strewn throughout the room. Noah joined in, chuckling, and even Scorpius cracked a smile as he realized that he had been using a History of Magic textbook wrapped in a scarf as a pillow.

Half an hour later, all three boys were up and properly dressed for the day, although still a big sluggish. Noah led them through the mansion down to the kitchens, were a tiny army of house elves bustled about in the business of fixing breakfast. Scorpius, enraptured by the small creatures, hopped up onto the counter and observed gleefully. Albus and Noah bickered over a pan of bacon as a few elves carried the food towards the table, despite there being four more pans of the meat already on serving platters. The kitchen soon quieted, however, and soon Scorpius found himself alone with only two elves on cleaning duty.

His curiosity made its presence known in record time, a niggling sensation building at the back of his brain until his feet acted on their own and led him to the glass doors of the study. He could hear Noah and Albus still fighting over the food and knew they would be occupied for a good long while. One hand closed around the brightly polished silver doorknob and pulled the door to the side, sliding through the cracked entrance easily. His attention immediately went to the photo from the prior evening and within seconds it was in his hands again, his eyes drawn to Lucius Malfoy once more. There was something…familiar about the man he had never met, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Scorpius stared at the photo for another minute or two, finally reaching up to replace the picture on the shelf. His eyes caught sight of his reflection in the glass where the mask was sitting, his entire body freezing as his brain clicked into gear.

"Scor?" His musings were interrupted when Noah yanked open the doors to the study, making the blond boy gasp and nearly drop the picture on the floor. Scorpius recovered smoothly, turning on one foot and sweeping out of the study without a single word. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing." Scorpius lied. Albus frowned at him as he left the study, almost as if he wanted to ask a question of the blond. Scorpius felt his face redden but remained silent, and the incident was dropped without any further discussion or explanation.

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><p>"Did your father have a mask?" The question tumbled from Scorpius' lips one night as he lounged in the Nott study with Theodore after dinner. Hermione had taken Rhianon upstairs to be put to bed and Scorpius had gone with Theodore to entertain himself. He hadn't meant to ask the question, but his brain had been whirring excitedly ever since the drunken night at Noah's nearly two months ago. It was closing in on September, when Scorpius would start his Fourth Year, and he had managed to keep his curiosity at bay so far.<p>

"I beg your pardon?" Theodore asked, lifting his head from the parchment he was reading over. A barely visible frown pulled the corners of the man's mouth down, accentuating the scar near his eye. Scorpius flushed, embarrassed, and ducked his head into his chest. "Scorpius?"

"I just…" He took a deep breath and then the words came tumbling out like unstoppable vomit. "When I stayed at Noah's there was a mask in the study and it was silver and Albus and Noah said it was a Death Eater mask and I know that there were a lot of the families connected to the Death Eaters and once I read that your family were a part of it and I was curious and so I wanted to know if your father had a mask and there was a picture too in the study and there was a man who looked familiar but-"

"Scorpius." Theodore interrupted the boy's rambling easily. He was tense, his shoulders squared and his back ramrod straight. Scorpius shut his mouth so quick his teeth clicked together.

A moment of silence passed through the study before Theodore let out a long sigh and relaxed back into his chair. He opened a drawer at his left side and withdrew a glass, his right hand waving at the cabinet to summon the gin. He poured a healthy dose into the glass and then lifted the tumbler in Scorpius' direction, as if toasting him.

"My father did indeed have a mask. I never kept it." Theodore answered at long last. Scorpius nodded and kept his head down. "Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"Did you have a mask?"

"No." Theodore took a long pull of gin, sucking in a breath through his teeth to try and rid himself of the aftertaste. "I never joined. My father wanted me to but I refused and fled Britain after I turned seventeen. I stayed clear of the war, best I could." Another heavy swallow went down and Scorpius fidgeted in his seat, toying with the frayed thread on his sleeve. "Anything else?"

"Did you know Lucius Malfoy?" At this the thick silence returned to the room and Theodore busied himself with downing the rest of his gin, taking his time in doing so. He finally set the glass down on his desk, his jaw twitching as he lifted his green eyes to look at the fourteen year old across from him. The man opened his mouth to answer and Scorpius unintentionally leaned forward to listen.

Both Slytherins jumped wildly in their seats, Scorpius twisting towards the door of the study as Theodore leapt to his feet, when Hermione entered the room with a smile. She came to a quick halt and her smile faltered when she took in the scene before her. Her expression regained some of its brightness, although false, as her eyes lifted from the gin tainted tumbler on the desk.

"Do either of you wish to join me for ice cream?" Hermione asked sweetly. Theodore forced a grin and nodded, a pointed look at Scorpius telling the boy to not mention the subject on which they had been talking, as he moved towards his wife. Scorpius rose from his chair and followed the adults from the room, turning back at the last moment to look over his shoulder at the study.

The boy knew Theodore had something to say, and he was going to figure out what it was.

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><p>"You've had your head buried in that bloody book all year!" Scorpius barely acknowledged the high pitched whine of the girl sitting beside him on the shore of the Black Lake. It was nearing the end of April and the weather had taken a turn for the better. The girl next to him, a dainty brunette from Ravenclaw, had folded her arms over her chest and begun pouting.<p>

"So leave then, if I'm that boring." Scorpius rolled his eyes dramatically and turned another page in the book. The girl made a show of grabbing her belongings and donning her cloak, as if she expected Scorpius to change his mind and ask her to stay. He merely lifted his head from the book for a second, looked at her with an indifferent expression, and then returned to his reading. She let out a scream through her gritted teeth and stomped off, muttering furiously the entire time.

He checked once to make sure she was good and gone before he flipped several pages back in the book, unfolding the pages to reveal a complete list of names, ages, and wand types. The book was one he had nicked from a back shelf in Theodore's study, bound in a heavy black leather with thick pages of parchment. It was all handwritten, more of a journal than an actual text, with several different authors and signatures. From what Scorpius had gathered from reading so far, the book had been passed from Death Eater to Death Eater, each one responsible for the entries for a week or so at a time. He was still scanning the pages for any sign of an entry by Lucius Malfoy when he had stumbled across the full compilation of members.

It was another point of interest for Scorpius, naturally, when he discovered that in addition to sharing grey eyes and white blond hair, he and Lucius Malfoy had both been chosen by wands crafted from elm wood with a core of dragon heartstring.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Alright well please let me know what you think of this so far and I will update soon. I'm trying to get the next few chapters out quickly so I can't change my mind on myself...review please!


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** Haven't been feeling well lately (thank youuuuu allergies) so if this chapter isn't up to snuff then...I gave it my best shot. Wanted to get something out for you all. Enjoy!

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><p>Hermione hummed a tune under her breath as she watched Rhianon sleep, the four year old stretched like a ragdoll across her older brother's lap. It was the weekend following Rhianon's birthday and Scorpius had gotten permission from Headmistress McGonagall to come home for the occasion, appearing by Floo almost immediately after Rhianon had blown out the candles on her cake. To say the little girl was overjoyed was an understatement, as her magic had instantly caused the cake to explode and the chairs to levitate.<p>

Scorpius had fallen asleep as well, his head lolling back on the cushions of the couch in the south parlor. Rhianon had dragged her brother in there earlier for a game and the two had quickly succumbed to the lure of afternoon cartoons that were still playing quietly on the television Hermione had made Theodore install on the far wall. Scorpius, now sixteen and every bit the spitting image of Draco, had always been a model older sibling for the tiny brunette in his lap. Rhianon clutched a fistful of her brother's flannel pajama bottoms in her small fingers, a trail of drool leaving a dark spot on the burgundy fabric.

"Keep humming and you will wake them both." Theodore whispered, Hermione flinching in surprise as he materialized right behind her. "Although they do make an absolutely heart wrenching picture."

"He's so good with her. Better than I thought he would be, given their age difference." Hermione leaned heavily into her husband, breathing in the scent of lime mint before fixing Theodore with an accusatory glare. "Gin, already? It's barely noon."

"You know, I thought the whole bugging me about my drinking habits would have stopped with my mother but apparently that is not the case." Theodore rolled his eyes. "Besides, it was barely a half a glass. It helps focus my brain when I look over cases."

"Hmph." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs but let the subject drop. "When do you suppose we should wake them up?"

"Let them sleep. After that Quidditch match Tuesday Merlin knows Scorpius could use the rest. The boy is a machine in the air, apparently. Harry told me he took a Bludger to the hea- shoulder and kept on flying."

"His head?!" Hermione all but shrieked as she caught Theodore's slip. He grimaced. "He got hit in the head."

"Oh come on. It was one hit, barely a tap from what Harry told me and besides, Draco took more than one Bludger to the brain during our school years and it barely affected him." Theodore frowned then, his head tilted as he thought for a moment. "Although he did speak Latin for nearly a week after the concussion in Fourth Year…"

"That's not funny!" Hermione huffed, entering the parlor to turn off the television. Instantly Scorpius' head flew off the back of the couch.

"Was watching that." He mumbled sleepily, one eye barely opened at his mother. He looked down at his lap, smiling, and then yawned. "Time is it?"

"Half past three." Theodore answered as he dropped elegantly into an armchair next to the couch. Scorpius hummed his thanks and let his head drop back onto the cushions. Hermione folded one leg underneath herself as she sat beside her children on the couch, one hand brushing through Rhianon's curls. Luckily the girl had gotten blessed with tame ringlets instead of Hermione's nest of bushy locks. Rhianon mumbled something in her tiny high pitched voice and nestled her head deeper into her brother's thigh.

"I'll have to leave tonight." Scorpius lifted both hands to his face and rubbed vigorously. "Al scheduled a practice for tomorrow afternoon. I could murder him sometimes."

"She's going to be devastated." Hermione sighed and dropped a kiss on Rhianon's cheek. "She was so excited to see you yesterday."

"I'm just glad I could make it." Scorpius yawned again and shook his head, his long hair swinging into his eyes. Hermione cast a disapproving glance at the white blond locks that had started to curl up on the ends. Scorpius held up a finger in her face. "No, I'm not cutting it."

"It makes you look silly."

"Bri likes it."

"Still with the Church girl then?" Theodore asked, his fingernail tracing the patterned fabric of the armchair. Scorpius nodded. It had taken him nearly a month to pluck up the nerve to ask Briseis Church, the girl that had been responsible for the dating disaster that was Albus' love life, on a date to Hogsmeade at the end of his Fourth Year, but she had stuck around ever since. "For what, a year?"

"Almost. Will be in May." The blond sighed and stifled a third yawn, stretching his arms over his head. A series of loud pops and cracks resonated from his body and he grinned sheepishly at Hermione, who looked horrified. "Sorry Mum."

"I should have never let you get on a broom." Hermione grumbled. Scorpius shrugged and leaned over his lap, his arms going underneath Rhianon's small body easily as he blew a loud and affectionate raspberry into the girl's neck. She was awake in a matter of seconds, a peal of delighted and squealing laughter spilling from her mouth. He stood, his sister still held captive, and continued terrorizing her with raspberries and growling noises as he carried her from the parlor. Hermione sank into the plush comfort of the couch and waited until she could no longer hear Rhianon laughing to turn to Theodore.

"You know I caught him rifling through my study over summer break." Theodore finally admitted, not looking up from his tracing. Hermione's eyes locked on her husband firmly. "I think he has started to piece together his lineage."

"No." Hermione said sternly, rising from her seat. Theodore mimicked her actions and grabbed her arm before she could leave the room.

"We need to talk about this, Hermione."

"No we don't." She couldn't bring her gaze to meet his, even as his fingers lifted her chin up. She shook her head. "I don't want to."

"We should sit down with him and talk all of this out. It would be better to cut him off early in his search rather than have him find out on his own. He has been doing an exceptional job of trying to be stealthy; he even lifted a Dark journal from my study last year and I had no idea it was gone until three months after the fact. If he inherited the Malfoy temper, it is only a matter of time before the angelic boy you raised turns into a resentful demon." Theodore reasoned in a low voice. Hermione shook her head vehemently. "You know I am right, Hermione. You know it."

"No." She wrenched her arm from his grasp and left the parlor in a rush, her quick footsteps carrying her into the dining room.

Scorpius and Rhianon were sharing a chair and a plate of cake, icing covering their fingers as they licked at the sugary treat. Rhianon was speaking fast words to her brother as they ate, detailing each and every one of her birthday presents to him in a fact laden manner.

"-and Granmamma Molly gave me a pretty green dress and Papa Arthur gave me head bows to match the socks that Uncle George got me, and then, and then, and Auntie Gin gave me a pillow she made herself and it's purple, which is my favorite color, and then Uncle Harry gave me pretty flowers that change colors whenever I want, and Uncle Percy, Uncle Percy gave me a book, but I told him I already had it because Daddy had gotten it for me for Christmas, and-" Scorpius was trying his best to be interested while fighting off her fingers in an effort to keep his grey Quidditch tee spotless. Rhianon was gesturing about wildly as she described her presents, her eyes barely catching sight of Hermione as the dark haired woman entered the dining room. "Mummy!"

"Hello baby."

"Mummy, I was telling Scor about my presents, about all of them, and I was almost done." Rhianon nodded once and turned back to her brother, continuing to tick off her presents on her fingers. "And then Daddy got me another book, which I don't have, and Mummy, and Mummy got me a fancy dress and pretty head bows too, like Papa Arthur, but that's okay since I like head bows, and I wear them all the time." The little girl stopped and looked up at the boy whose lap she was perched on. "So what did you get me?"

"Absolutely nothing." Scorpius laughed and licked his thumb clean of the last bit of icing. Rhianon pouted.

"But it's my birthday!" She whined, throwing her arms around his neck lovingly. "It's my birthday Scor!"

"I know it is." He laughed again and used his hand not covered in icing to pat her back comfortingly. "That's why I came home, Rhi. To see you. Yeah?"

"But it's my birthday!"

"Alright, alright." Scorpius sighed and extracted his neck from her arms. "I have a present for you but it's hidden in my room. I'll give you a head start. If I catch you, I get to keep the present." Rhianon screamed, pleased, and wriggled her way down from the chair to sprint through the Manor. Hermione shook her head as she grabbed the now empty plate from where they had been sitting. Scorpius stood up, wiping his hands on his pajama bottoms as he counted in his head.

"So what did you get her?" Hermione asked, hating the fact that she now had to look up at her boy. He was tall, taller than she honestly remembered Draco being, and if he kept growing he'd pass Theodore.

"A Slytherin jersey. We had a few old spares laying around, got Rosh to shrink it for me." Scorpius reached up and around with his right arm to rub his left shoulder. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"How many times have you been hit this year?"

"Just four, Mum." He rolled his eyes. "You don't need to worry."

"I'm going to worry, Scorpius! It's a brutish sport, and with your condition it can be extremely dangerous! That fall you took in Fourth Year was more than enough to put me off the sport entirely, and how you get on a broom after that just baffles me." Hermione blamed her frustration with Quidditch, Theodore, and her son on her next statement. "Stubborn as your father."

She paled considerably when she realized what exactly she had said. Scorpius' entire being tightened with tension, his fists balling at his sides slowly. His eyes were suddenly devoid of the sleepiness and warmth they had possessed all weekend, now sharp and cold and almost judgmental. Hermione opened her mouth to backtrack but Scorpius beat her to the punch.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't know much about that, now would I?" It was his tone that cut her more than his actual words. He turned smartly on his bare heel and stomped out of the dining room as Rhianon's loud giggling started up again, obviously happy with the present she had found in his room.

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><p>"Here." Albus slapped down a folded and faded copy of the Daily Prophet on Scorpius' desk in their dungeon bedroom in late April of 2017. Their Fifth Year was drawing to a slow close. Scorpius had become relentless since his visit home in February for Rhianon's birthday in his hunt for more information. Noah had been fairly helpful, even nicking a few journals from his own father's study in order to help Scorpius gather enough information about Lucius Malfoy. Albus had been less than thrilled to hear about Scorpius' obsession but the dark haired boy was somewhat relieved when, in a fit of anger and hurt feelings, Briseis had publicly dumped Scorpius at breakfast nearly three weeks ago.<p>

"What is that?" Scorpius asked without looking up from his homework. Ancient Runes was proving to be more tedious than his mother had warned. Albus scowled and crossed his arms while leaning in the doorframe that led out into the boys' corridor.

"Just fucking read the thing, will you?" Albus was currently stressing too much over the up and coming Quidditch tournament, as he had been elected co-captain earlier that year under the leadership of Galen. Galen had been a quiet presences in their lives, always nearby but never too close, but the boy one year their senior proved to be useful both on and off the Quidditch field.

"Alright, alright. Keep your bloody knickers on." Scorpius snorted, grabbing the newspaper in a flurry. Albus rolled his eyes. The blond flicked the paper open, staring down at what could have easily been a photograph of himself. His eyes wandered to the boldly printed headline.

**FALLEN FROM GRACE MALFOY'S WIFE AND SON LEAVE TRIAL**

"James found it when we were cleaning out the attic. Rem and Rom have been itching to get into his room for months now and he's moving up there to let them have at it. It was in a stack of old papers Dad saved for whatever reason, but he thought it was you before he read the headline." Albus said carefully. Scorpius nodded and let out a slow breath, his hands shaking as he flattened the paper on his desk. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Sure?"

"I said I'm fine, Al." Scorpius snapped, wincing as he watched the shock leap across Albus' face. "Sorry. I just…"

"You think that could be your dad, yeah?" Albus shifted his weight in the doorframe unsteadily, chewing on his lip. Scorpius shrugged. "Looks just bloody like you."

"Yeah." Scorpius refolded the newspaper and tugged it closer to himself. "You mind if I keep it?"

"Go right on." Albus nodded and pushed off the wall, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Scorpius looked at the textbook in front of him and then shook his head, standing abruptly and grabbing his flying gear from under his bed. Albus grinned and did the same.

"Don't say a goddamned thing." Scorpius growled as they all but ran out of the dungeon. Albus' grin just got bigger.

Two hours later Scorpius and Albus touched down on the pitch, sweating and panting and thoroughly windblown. Albus' hair was sticking up at odd angles, making him look even more like his father, and Scorpius' long locks were swept back from his forehead. They hadn't said a single word to each other since they had taken to the air and no words had been needed. They simply enjoyed flying, reveling in the feel of the air pulsing around them as they pushed their brooms faster and higher. Albus had given chase first, diving after Scorpius as the blond led him through a series of twists and turns and dips that had both of their stomachs churning. When Albus took the lead they flew hunched over their broomsticks, aligning their bodies with the wood as much as possible to get the most speed from their vehicles.

Albus waited patiently, as he always did after their flying sessions, for Scorpius to speak first. The blond rarely allowed himself to get rattled, but when he did he always went flying and Albus was always there. They would fly, land, and then they would talk.

"I knew I was different." Scorpius finally said, his voice uncharacteristically small. Albus remained silent. "I could always feel it. Even when we were little. Your magic felt different than mine. Families are always connected by magic and I could never feel the pull of yours, or your mum's or dad's. I barely even feel my mum's." Scorpius popped his knuckles one by one, sighing. "The person whose magic I identify with most is Theo's. His magic feels familiar, like I'm used to it, like something inside of me is comfortable with it."

The blond swallowed thickly, wiping under his nose with the back of one hand. He cleared his throat and Albus took notice of the strain in his friend's face.

"Will you…" Scorpius began, inhaling a deep breath and holding it for a moment before he let it out in a slow stream from between his lips. "Will you come with me to the library? I need to check something and I…" Scorpius looked up here, fixing his grey eyes on Albus, and the Potter boy was shocked to see unshed tears balancing on his best mate's lower lashes. "I don't want to do it alone."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I tried my best to make Rhianon really friggin adorable and had to recall what my niece was like at that age (she was a terror and a half but overall a lovely little girl). Please let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** Well...Um...I don't know what to say regarding my absence as of late other than I'm sorry so...I'm sorry! Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. This kind of ended up being a little more dramatic than I originally planned. I am pretty pleased with it though, and can actually see this working out for the better in the long run. I wish you all think the same! Enjoy!

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><p>Scorpius looked at his reflection as he stood in his room, fully packed and ready to leave for the summer. Albus and Noah had already gone out of the dungeons, leaving only Scorpius and a few last minute stragglers behind. He began his studious perusal of his reflection once more.<p>

He had convinced Roshni to attack his hair with her wand a few days ago, cutting off the curled ends of the blond locks. Now it hung, stick straight, down over his forehead to the point just above his eyebrows. Just like the photo.

He had found a pair of black dress pants buried in his trunk and was surprised when they fit. He hadn't remembered wearing them since Fourth Year. His uniform shoes would have to do for now, the black and well-polished Oxfords gleaming in the candlelight of his room.

He had bought the tailored shirt and jacket in a matching black on his last Hogsmeade visit. It was a sharp looking ensemble. The shirt had silver buttons that stayed hidden behind the black silk tie he had purchased in addition to everything else. A striking silver serpentine tie pin completed the look.

Just like the photo.  
>Just like Draco Malfoy.<br>Just like his father.

Scorpius let out a long sigh and grabbed the bag at his feet, his trunk already shrunken inside. He closed the door to his room as he left and then walked out of the dungeon, ignoring the thick crowd of students that were chattering wildly about catching the Hogwarts Express. He walked with the rest of the student body down to Hogsmeade, Albus and Noah and Roshni all animatedly discussing their summer plans. Albus had given Scorpius a weird look when the blond first approached their group but kept his mouth shut. Noah and Roshni paid no real attention to him, instead carrying on about the farewell feast.

It was only when they reached the train platform in Hogsmeade that Albus grabbed Scorpius' elbow. The blond stopped walking, staring into the concerned blue-green eyes of his best friend.

"What're you up to?" Albus asked, his voice low as to not attract too much attention. Scorpius shook his head. The Potter boy set his jaw firmly, letting Scorpius know that he had no choice in the matter of explaining himself. Scorpius sighed and fiddled with the latch on his bag. "Come on Scor."

"I'm not going home." Scorpius whispered. Albus dropped the other boy's arm in surprise.

"If this is because of what you read in the library, then-"

"Don't try to talk me out of it, Al." Scorpius said fiercely. "You saw it, just as much as I did. My name, right there, in that book."

"That doesn't mean you have to run away from your-"

"From what?" Scorpius snapped, his eyes narrowing at Albus. "My family? I don't _have_ a family! All I have is a lie!"

"That's not true. And you know it." Albus gripped Scorpius' upper arm hard, fingers digging into the blond's skin through his clothes. "We've always been your family. Fuck whatever name you have."

"I can't go back. They've done nothing but lie to me." Scorpius tore his arm from Albus and looked around the platform. Albus scowled. "This is what I have to do."

There was a moment that passed between the two boys where neither said anything but their eyes told each other all that needed to be spoken. Albus' scowl deepened but he thrust a hand at Scorpius regardless.

"Just don't do anything stupid, like fucking die, alright?" Albus grumbled. Scorpius shook the dark haired boy's hand slowly, his free hand reaching into the bag he carried to withdraw a piece of folded parchment.

"Give this to my mu- to Hermione." Scorpius handed the parchment to Albus, who nodded to accept the task.

"Where are you going?"

Scorpius shrugged, taking a few backward steps away from the platform as the train's whistle blew. Albus reached for the railing that led onto the train, waiting for the boy's reply.

"Wherever I have to."

* * *

><p>Albus blew out a frustrated huff of air as the Hogwarts Express rolled into Kings Cross. He knew exactly where Aunt Hermione would be, with Rhianon at her side and Theodore standing behind them protectively. His own family wouldn't be too far away, in their usual place where he and Lily always met them. It wasn't that he didn't know where to go.<p>

He just didn't know how.

In his mind he had played it out several times. Walk up to Aunt Hermione, hand her the letter, and then apologize on behalf of Scorpius. But…Did Scorpius want an apology to be delivered? What if he had written that in the letter? Silence definitely couldn't bode well and Albus didn't want to be rude so he had to say something.

His feet worked mechanically, carrying him through the train. He didn't even hear his voice properly as he said goodbye to Roshni and Noah, both of whom were looking around in a confused stupor for their fourth companion. He thought about explaining Scorpius' disappearance but stayed quiet, shrugging when Noah asked him if Scorpius was coming.

He didn't remember waving to Lily as his sister approached him, her eyebrow quirked quizzically at the lack of the usual blond. Albus shrugged again. His parents greeted their children with the normal enthusiasm, Remus and Romulus even more excited since they would join their siblings in the fall for the first time.

His feet moved on their own again, his eyes locked on the worried expression that flickered across Aunt Hermione's face. His hand ghosted over the letter in his pocket, his fingers brushing against a sharp corner as he made his way through the crowd. At last he stood before the trio of brown haired people. Theodore was frowning just so, as if he knew something was up. Rhianon, the sweet little girl, bounced up and down and pointed at Albus because she knew, she knew Scorpius was usually right behind him. And then Albus got a good look at Aunt Hermione and he withdrew the letter from his pocket.

"I…" He trailed off lamely, unable to finish as he passed the letter to the woman before him. Hermione took it with shaking fingers, her eyes fixated on the imprint in the seal of wax.

It was a gloriously intricate 'M' inlaid on a shield, flanked by two imposing dragons on either side.

Albus turned and walked away just as the first tear fell from Aunt Hermione's face.

* * *

><p>Scorpius looked around at the dark room that he had paid for in Hogsmeade, a tiny little alcove above the Three Broomsticks. His bag landed with a thud in the chair in the corner. He kicked his shoes off and padded in sock clad feet to the bed, which gave a loud groan as his weight settled onto it. He held his head in his hands, his brain whirring with activity as he thought over everything that had happened in the last month.<p>

It had taken him nearly five weeks to gather up the courage necessary to actually finish reading that book in the library. The afternoon he and Albus went flying was just the prequel of several days spent in a similar fashion. But finally, halfway through May, Scorpius had gotten a little bit of liquid courage in his system no thanks to Noah and then had taken off for the library, Albus hot on his heels with the Invisibility Cloak.

Scorpius had never been so thankful for the cloak until that night, as he certainly didn't want anyone other than Albus to know that his face turned so red when he cried.

Now, as he sat in the lowest priced room in the Three Broomsticks, he felt like crying again. He grabbed the pillow behind him and laid out flat on the bed, pushing the pillow over his face and screaming into it to his heart's content. He knew he should have gone home, should have given the woman he had called his mother the chance to explain what had happened, why she had hidden this from him. But he was so _angry_, so upset at being cheated of knowledge, so frustrated with knowing that his entire life had been a perpetual lie.

It had nearly killed him to carry on for the last three weeks of school, putting on a brave face every morning to go out and be surrounded by everyone who knew him but really didn't know him at all. He didn't even know himself. Only Albus knew his secret, and Albus would keep it safe from the others.

At least he hoped so.

Scorpius screamed again into the pillow, his hands fisting the soft fabric tightly to push it harder against his face. He wanted to suffocate himself but he couldn't. He had work to do. One more scream wrenched itself out of his lungs and into the confines of the pillow. It still was little comfort.

The incessant tapping on the window in the morning proved to be most annoying. He rolled onto his side, glancing down at the clothes from the day before which he had actually managed to sleep in, and looked to the window. A brown owl sat outside in the rain, a letter clenched firmly in his beak. Scorpius groaned but got up and went to the window, taking the letter from the owl and dropping its payment in the pouch tied to its leg. He recognized the handwriting on the front of the envelope.

The loopy 'S' at the beginning of his name was the same one he had been reading for sixteen years.

He scowled and tossed the letter away from himself, watching with satisfaction as it slid on the dusty floor under the bed.

Three more letters arrived that morning. All of them joined their predecessor under the bed.

Scorpius thanked the barmaid downstairs that afternoon, his bag slung over one shoulder as he made his way down to the bookstore. He needed to pinpoint his starting place, get a better idea of where he had to begin this journey.

Two hours later he left the shop, three new books in his bag and a piece of scrap paper clutched in his left hand. He all but sprinted back to the Three Broomsticks, tossing a handful of Knuts onto the counter for a pinch of Floo powder. He was feeling particularly triumphant as he held the powder in his hand before tossing it into the grate. He stepped into the green flames, his heart racing.

"Malfoy Manor!"

* * *

><p>Hermione rocked back and forth on the middle couch cushion, quietly crying into the handkerchief Theodore had supplied her with hours earlier. Her latest owl had come back with its letter still in its beak, meaning that its intended recipient had not been available. Theodore had quickly ushered Rhianon from the room, away from her mother, and the upstairs rooms had been left undisturbed all afternoon. She felt so helpless now, alone on the couch, as the last few rays of sunshine crept in through the windows.<p>

Heavy footsteps carried in from the hallway, signaling Theodore's approach. He entered through the thick double doors of her refuge, crossing the room to sit with her on the couch. She allowed him to gather her into his lap, her head held softly to the place where his neck and shoulder met.

"I am so sorry, Hermione." He murmured against her hair, one hand stroking her curls lightly while the other ran comforting circles across her back. "Perhaps he just needs time. We knew this could happen, that he could find out from someone other than us. He is a smart boy, he can figure out what he needs to do."

"He'll never forgive me." Hermione trembled at the thought and held a little tighter to the fabric of Theodore's shirt. "He never will. He'll _always_ be angry."

"I know." Theodore sighed and settled his chin on the top of her head. "Just give it a little time."

They sat together on the couch for some time, silence settling over the two adults comfortably.

* * *

><p>Scorpius coughed away the dust that blew into his face as he stepped out of the extremely sooty grate and into a cold room. He looked up above at the ceiling, noticing that it was much higher than he expected it to be. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder, his footsteps echoing in the empty room as he walked slowly through the area.<p>

The ceiling was decorated with a piece of fancy molding that held a crystal chandelier. There were cobwebs of all sorts clinging to the different dangling crystals, each web covered in layers upon layers of dust. A glint of sunlight peeked through the drawn curtains, a faint sparkle shining off the chandelier. Scorpius tried to bat down the sense of awe growing in his chest.

High walls crept down from the ceiling, what was once a brilliant shade of white now a faded gray from years of neglect. About three feet from the floor another strip of finely crafted molding interrupted the walls, the space below painted what could have once been green. The floor was a dark grey marble, covered in a lighter grey dust save for the spots where Scorpius had been putting his feet.

A moment later he ventured out into the foyer, his footsteps still echoing throughout the manor. The ceiling were still impossibly high and the general décor was still impeccable. Scorpius ran a hand over the dark wood of the banister attached to the sweeping dual staircase that framed the hallway leading out of the foyer and further into the manor. Slowly he took a step up the stairs, his shoes sinking into the plush carpet that lined every marble slab.

Upstairs was darker than downstairs, mostly due to the fact that the sun had set now and the curtains were drawn tight. His heart began to race a little bit as he moved down the corridor, the ghost stories of Hogwarts now making an unwelcome appearance in his memory. Scowling, he tried to push those thoughts from his mind and his hand closed around his wand in his pocket, just wanting to feel comforted despite the fact that he was still underage and therefore not allowed to use it.

He stopped suddenly, staring down the length of yet another dark hallway. With a sigh he stepped into the darkness, jumping like a little schoolgirl when the sconces on the wall roared to life with flames. His heart leapt into his throat and he could barely contain his shout of surprise but he managed to swallow it, watching as the rest of the hallway slowly lit up. He could make out the edges of a few frames lining the hall, each one glinting gold in the flames from the sconces.

Scorpius paused at an empty portrait, reading the name plate attached to the frame. _Armand Malfoy, 1005-1102_. He carried on to the next one, noticing that it too was empty as he read the plate. _Belial Malfoy, 1045-1139_. Scorpius looked on down the hall, counting at least six frames. Immediately he perked up, ready to read all of the names and know even more about this family than what he had already discovered. After Belial came a _Guillaume Malfoy, 1102-1199_. Then _Hyperion Malfoy, 1150-1237_, followed by _Octavian Malfoy, 1187-1264_, and then _Cestius Malfoy, 1220-1304_. The first portrait that held an occupant was the one of _Gaius Malfoy, 1274-1372_. He was blond, fair skinned, and had an expression of sheer boredom that shifted into delighted surprise when his eyes fell upon Scorpius. He nodded to the blond teenager and Scorpius did the same in return, but kept moving. The name plate on the next portrait gave him pause before he read the date. _Lucius Malfoy, 1321-1410_. The painting was almost identical to the one of Gaius Malfoy, right down the darkness of his eyebrows and the smirk on his lips. Scorpius studied the man for a bit, leaning in close to the portrait.

"Kindly keep back boy, you shall smear my oil!" Lucius bit out. Scorpius let out a yell and stumbled backwards into the portrait of _Nicholas Malfoy, 1340-1425_. The teen righted himself immediately, straightening out the empty frame that belonged to Nicholas before carrying on in his trek. He made a point to ignore the other paintings for fear of being reprimanded again. The corridor went on forever, it seemed, but as he approached the end he gave way to his curiosity and chanced a peek at the paintings.

It appeared his run in with Lucius at the beginning of the hall had spread through the other portraits, as the occupants within the frames began showing up in increasing numbers. Scorpius adjusted his bag again on his shoulder, gripping the strap hard in his left hand as he snuck a look at the name plate to his left.

_Abraxas Malfoy, 1904-1992._

Scorpius stopped, knowing that if he turned around he would be face to painting with the man that would have been his grandfather. He swallowed his fear, gathering up what courage hadn't been sapped from him by the house already, and slowly turned on his heel. There, hanging up at the same height as all the other pictures, was a finely painted portrait of a man with long blond hair. He had impeccable posture, his shoulders thrown back haughtily as he peered down his nose at Scorpius in the middle of the hallway.

_Lucius Malfoy, 1954-1998._ Scorpius stepped closer to the painting, a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue. A flash of movement to the right caught his eye, however, and he abandoned the inquisition he was about to unleash on Lucius. The flame of the sconce to his immediate right flickered lowly, as if it were about to be extinguished, and then it bounced back to life. Scorpius dropped his bag to the ground, approaching the wall fixture and, by default, the next portrait.

This time he actually ran his hand over the affixed name plate, tracing each letter in turn.

_Draco Malfoy, 1980-2001._

His body trembled as he looked up and into the face of the young man that he never had the chance to call Father.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Whew! So I had to make up a few names for ancestors in this chapter but I sensed a little bit of a Roman theme so I ran with it, obviously. Again, this wasn't exactly the direction I had planned on, but I definitely like it more than what I thought I was going to do at first. I couldn't write a proper confrontation between Scorpius and Hermione so...this happened. I hope you all liked it! Next round will be more interaction with some paintings! Please leave me a review!


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: ** Here's another installment. I hope this suffices for a little while, I apologize for not updating sooner! It took me a good bit to work this out and I hope that it is to your liking! Enjoy!

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><p>Theodore sat up, an odd sensation that he hadn't felt in almost seventeen years racing down his spine. Hermione slumbered peacefully next to him, curled on her side with her back to him. He had convinced her sometime after her crying session in the upstairs parlor to go to bed, and he had gone with her just to make sure she was okay. Now, though, he was unsettled.<p>

The feeling came back without warning and he sighed, throwing back the sheets and comforter to climb out of the bed. The room was dark still but he easily crossed to the bathroom, closing the door before throwing on the light. He leaned on the counter, arms bracing his weight as he stared at his reflection.

Bits of grey had started to appear near his temple, blending in with his coppery hair nicely. He had a few more lines on his face than he ideally wished for, but at thirty seven with a four year old daughter, he figured it could have been much worse. His eyes looked tired, something that hadn't really changed in too many years. Theodore sighed again, one hand lifting to his face so he could run a finger down the jagged scar on his left cheek.

_He could hear the deep thuds of the boot making contact with his stomach over and over again. He didn't feel it, but he could hear it. He knew it was nearly over, he had been counting the thuds and it was getting close to thirty and that was when it would stop.  
><em>_"Worthless, spineless, pathetic excuse of a son!" Another thud. And another.  
><em>_And then something changed, something happened that he didn't expect and he could have never seen coming.  
><em>_Angry hands fisted in the front of his shirt, hauling him off the floor and onto his feet so fast that his head spun and he lurched dangerously to one side.  
><em>_"Stand up, boy! I'll teach you a lesson yet!"  
><em>_A brilliant flash of green flooded his vision and he felt it this time, felt the white hot heat of a hex slash across his face followed by the sticky wetness of blood. He gasped and dropped to his knees, wanting so badly to reach up and touch his face, to feel how bad it really was. Another bolt of green blinded him again and he couldn't restrain the pained howl that was wrenched from his lungs._

_Hours passed, he figured. He lay perfectly still, barely breathing and bruised and bleeding all over the shiny marble floor. He had been left to die, no doubt, as his father had parted long ago with a final kick to his gut and a spiteful hiss. He was fighting the urge to shiver. It had slowly gotten colder.  
><em>_"Theo!" Silver and black entered his line of sight, hands rolled him onto his back and he could feel someone breathing much too close to his face.  
><em>_When he woke several days later, it was to a worried and exhausted looking Draco as the blond sat at his desk in his bedroom, one hand cupping his chin as he stared at Theo. Theo returned the gaze, unblinking, and then slowly nodded.  
><em>_And at sixteen, a life debt was owed._

The urge to shudder became too much to bear and Theodore let his body wriggle with the weird feeling of icy fingers running down his back. He looked up at his reflection again, briefly, and then his brain clicked into gear and he tore out of the bathroom without even turning off the light.

* * *

><p>Scorpius folded his right arm behind his head as he lay on the dark green comforter of the four poster bed. He had found this bedroom a few minutes after running into the portrait of Draco. It was nicely decorated and, judging by the pictures on the dresser, it had once belonged to his father. His left hand unclenched around the Snitch in his grasp and the golden ball hovered a few inches out of his reach. With a sullen exhale he leaned up slightly off the bed and grabbed it again, watching with a small smile as its wings folded in around itself neatly. He collapsed back into the mattress, rolling on his stomach and punching the pillow into a comfortable shape beneath his chest. He had tried to talk to the painting of Draco but the image of the blond had been unsurprisingly sour, rebutting Scorpius' questions with unnecessarily snarky comments about being left alone for years on end.<p>

Scorpius stilled, tense, as a heated sensation crawled up and over his shoulders. He stuffed the Snitch under the pillow and all but leapt off the bed, his left hand curled around his wand where it lay in his pocket. He crept to the doorway of the bedroom, peeking around the corner to see that the sconces at the end of the hall had been lit. Curious, he took a step out into the corridor, inching towards the open end of the hall that led to the staircase out of the west wing.

He walked silently down the stairs, his eyes glued to the faint glow coming from the empty room where the Floo network had deposited him hours earlier. Someone was here, someone had lit an actual fire in the grate and he could hear the soft popping coming from the logs as they burned. He made it to the bottom of the steps, adjusting his grip on his wand for a moment. He could see a pair of long legs, clad in black, reclining from a chair that had undoubtedly been conjured.

With a calming breath Scorpius moved forward, striding into the empty room as if he owned it. His wand was up and level with his shoulder as his arm held steady, his knuckles nearly white from the tight grip. When his eyes finally finished taking in the details of the person across the room his arm faltered, dropping just a few inches.

"T-Theo?"

"Evening." Theodore replied casually, his expression mild as he watched the blond teenager have an internal struggle for a minute or two. Scorpius raised, lowered, and finally put his wand at his side, frowning all the while. "I should have known you would come here."

Scorpius remained silent. He stared impassively at Theodore as the man stood from his chair. The seat quickly disappeared into thin air, leaving the room just as empty as it had been before. Theodore studied the blond for a moment, a soft smile making its way across his lips.

"You look very much like Draco did at your age. You always have looked like him. Except for your eyes, and smile. Those are all Astoria." Theodore sighed, a heavy sound that seemed the drag the room around them down even further. "Scorpius, I know this cannot be easy for you. But I must ask you to come home and-"

"I am home." Scorpius interrupted defiantly. Theodore stopped short, not expecting the vehemence coming from the blond. "This is my home. It's where my real family lived. It's where I should have lived. _This_ is home."

"Scorpius, I understand your anger."

"Do you?" Scorpius scoffed. "Do you know what this feels like? What it's like to be lied to your whole life about who you are? To not know why you always felt so different? I had to find out from a book! A fucking _book_! About who I am, about what my family did!" He was on the verge of screaming, his entire body shaking with rage. His wand had started to emit sparks, blue and green and red particles of light dancing about on the floor. "I had to learn it by myself because no one bothered to tell me! No one cared!"

"Your mother-"

"SHE'S NOT MY MUM!" Scorpius was roaring furiously now, his wand letting off an explosive shot of red that crashed into the marble beneath his feet. He panted heavily against the tears that had cropped up quite suddenly, streaming down his face as he stared at the former Slytherin by the fireplace. Scorpius wiped angrily at his face with his sleeve, embarrassed by his crying. "She's _not_ my mum."

"I know." Theodore watched as Scorpius fought the tears that seemed to never stop. The teenager's wand finally fell to the floor as he brought both hands to his face, his palms swiping over his cheeks and eyes as he tried to get himself to stop crying.

"She's not my mum." Scorpius repeated the phrase weakly, his breath catching on the last two words. Theodore moved then, quick and long strides carrying him to the boy as Scorpius began to sob in earnest. The dark haired man wrapped both arms around the boy's shoulders and Scorpius simply let himself be embraced, burying his face hard into Theodore's left shoulder. "She's not my mum."

"I know, Scorpius. I know."

* * *

><p>"She hit him?"<p>

"Right in the face. He bled for hours afterwards. We took the piss right out of him for it, of course, and he gave us pure hell for the next month and a half, but it was spectacular. She had a brilliant right hook." Theodore chuckled as he reminisced about his years at Hogwarts. He had conjured another set of chairs for himself and Scorpius to use as they talked. The blond boy had spent only fifteen minutes in a state of uncontrollable emotion and when he had finished the only thing he wanted Theodore to do was talk about Draco.

"I tore her up with this, didn't I?" Scorpius asked quietly, staring at the dying fire. Theodore nodded slowly. "She's going to hate me."

"It is absolutely amazing that the two of you think the other will hate you. She spent nearly two hours crying about the fact that you would never forgive her for not telling you, and here you are telling me that she will hate you for running away." Theodore snorted, rolling his eyes.

"She's not mad?"

"I suspect on some level she is, but first and foremost she is concerned only for your safety. Not responding to her owls did not help your case, either." Scorpius had the sense to look ashamed at the slight admonishment. Theodore waved a casual hand. "I merely told her that you needed time. She understands, of course, but she is worried. She did dedicate the last sixteen years of her life to you, after all."

"I know." Scorpius looked down at his lap, chewing on the inside of his lip. The silence between them lasted a few minutes before Scorpius broke it. "Why did she do it? Why did she take me in, if they hated each other? They weren't even on the same side."

"I do not know." Theodore replied honestly. "That is a question better asked of Hermione. Only she knows her reasons." He didn't miss the way the blond teen glanced nervously around the room. "Are you anxious, about seeing her?"

"Yes. I imagine she'll yell for a bit."

"If you think she is going to yell, then I do not think you know her at all."

"You don't think she'd yell?"

"When has Hermione ever yelled?" Theodore asked. He quickly amended his inquiry. "At you, mind, not at me."

"She hasn't yelled at you since Rhi was born." Scorpius suddenly blanched, terrified. "Oh, Merlin. Rhi. She'll never understand. She probably thinks I deserted her!"

"Rhianon has been pleasantly occupied with play dates with Olivia. I would not worry about her too much, although she did ask when she could go flying again." At this Scorpius laughed and Theodore scowled. "She insists that the only person fit to go flying with her is you. It drives Hermione insane, actually, because you fly like a maniac she says, and if Rhianon learns to fly in any style similar to yours I imagine I shall owe St. Mungo's quite a bit of Galleons before she even goes to Hogwarts."

"Sorry." Scorpius said sheepishly. He quieted again, once more biting his lip. "Did my father fly?"

"Like a man possessed." Theodore laughed heartily. "The first time we ever flew together, it was here at the Manor. We were seven. Draco had just convinced Lucius to let him use the bigger brooms, the real ones, instead of the toy brooms. We thought we were invincible. Draco took off and flew straight into the magnolia that Narcissa loved. He snapped the broom right in half and fractured his left leg, but he swore it was the best flight of his life." Theodore smiled fondly as he thought back on the day. "It absolutely terrified me, of course, and I could not bring myself to get back on a broom in any serious capacity until Third Year. Draco was a great Seeker as well. It is such a shame he had to go against Potter at school. I would like to think that Slytherin could have won several Quidditch Cups if Potter had stayed on the ground."

Theodore turned in on himself suddenly, staring at the red embers of the burning logs as they began to die out.

"He was a good man. Draco never wanted any part of what he ended up having to do. I am sure you have read through some of the more atrocious things that were forced upon him. He was not an evil person, just unfortunate. He saved my life once. I owed him a life debt and in the end I could not hold up my half of the bargain. I tried to help him, to save him from the same illness that now eats at you, but I failed. I should never have stopped researching but when you did not show signs of the curse as a young child, I thought perhaps Hermione had saved you from it. I was wrong, and I am sorry."

* * *

><p>Hermione was beyond infuriated. She had woken up to an empty bed and absolutely no explanation whatsoever as to Theodore's disappearance. She had searched the whole manor, even recruited a house elf or two to help her, and due to Rhianon's unnaturally stubborn performance at breakfast, her patience was wearing thin.<p>

Rhianon was currently playing with her new tea set, an impulse buy of Theodore's when he had been strolling through Diagon Alley after finishing up his monthly report at Gringotts, and was seated on the floor by the end of the chair where Hermione had planted herself. The woman was brooding, of course, her brows knitted together tightly as she stared out of the window overlooking the back gardens.

"Mummy?" Rhianon paused in her playing, a blush pink teacup held daintily in her left hand. Hermione hummed acknowledgement and looked down at her daughter. "When is Scor coming home?"

The question blindsided Hermione, who blinked dumbly for a moment or two as she looked at the tiny brunette on the ground. Rhianon simply stared up at her mother, wide and innocent green eyes unwavering.

"I don't know, baby." Hermione finally answered, her smile dull and wholly fake. "Whenever he thinks it will suit him, I suppose." At this Rhianon let out a small huff of disappointment, standing from the floor and brushing off her bright blue dress. She planted her small hands on her equally tiny hips, her little lips pursed in a well-practiced pout.

"He promised to take me flying!" She even stamped her foot in annoyance and Hermione let out a measure of unhinged laughter, thoroughly entertained at her daughter's antics. "It's not funny, Mummy! Scor never breaks his promises! Not ever!"

"I know he doesn't, darling." Hermione beckoned to Rhianon with one arm, gathering the girl up onto her lap. Rhianon accepted the attention with a noise of contentment, snuggling into her mother's chest. "So he should be home soon, yes? Because he has a promise to keep."

"Will you read another book to me?" Rhianon squirmed her way down from her mother's lap, tugging at Hermione's hand eagerly. "I want you to read the one about the three brothers again!"

"We've read that one twice in the last week, Rhi!" Hermione stood from the chair, allowing the girl to pull her out of the parlor where they had been sitting. Rhianon just shot an irritated glance over her shoulder.

"I _know_, Mummy, but I want to hear it again! Uncle Harry's cloak is in it!" Rhianon said smartly, entering the library just as Hermione felt the wards around the manor shift. She stopped in her tracks, Rhianon jerked backwards a little by the sudden halt in momentum. Hermione let go of her daughter's hand and turned towards the staircase, taking a few steps forward. Rhianon called for her but the girl's cry fell on deaf ears as Hermione looked over the banister and down into the foyer. Her breath caught in her throat as tears welled on her lower lashes. Rhianon stomped to where her mother stood, her mouth opening to demand something of Hermione when she too looked down into the foyer.

"Scorpius!" The girl was off like a shot, racing down the winding staircase until she could take a flying leap into the blond's grasp. He swung her around twice, peppering adorably loud and overly dramatic kisses across her face. Rhianon squealed with glee, her hands clapped firmly to both of Scorpius' cheeks.

"You didn't go flying without me, did you?" He asked, holding her at arm's length. She kicked her legs and giggled, shaking her head in the negative before throwing her arms out towards him. Scorpius reeled her back in, crushing Rhianon to his chest in a tight hug. Over the top of her head he looked at Hermione, silver eyes catching brown.

Hermione smiled tearfully and nodded, her hand slipping into Theodore's as Scorpius and Rhianon began walking down the hall together, still laughing and chattering excitedly.

"He does not wish to discuss anything further about it tonight." Theodore said as he raked his eyes over his wife's face. Hermione sniffled once. "We spent nearly four hours talking at Malfoy Manor. I suspect he will come to you in time. Probably tomorrow."

"I know." Hermione leaned heavily into her husband's side. He planted a kiss into the hair near her temple, pointedly ignoring the few streaks of grey that had wormed their way into the golden brown curls.

"He will forgive you." Theodore whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they began to follow the same path the children had taken to the back gardens. Hermione sighed and tried her best to smile as she followed the flying figure of her daughter.

"I hope so."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong> Okay so I SWEAR at some point I will have the major talk. It may take me another week to get it together but...we'll see. Please let me know what you think!


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Well this thing has a mind of its damn own. I could not for the life of me get this chapter to piece together the way I wanted it to and it took me like fifteen revisions to kind of wrestle it the way I wanted. So, yeah, and it's long because I couldn't cut out some things and what I did end up taking out was like, another 800 words so...ugh. My head hurts but here it is, the next chapter. I plan on wrapping this up around 30 chapters. That's the plan, anyway, but we'll see how it goes.

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><p>"Scorpius?" Hermione knocked softly on the door leading into the boy's bedroom. His acknowledgment was muffled but granted her access to the chamber. She opened the door and stopped on a Knut, taking in the huge change of décor that had come upon the room.<p>

She was standing in an exact replica of Draco Malfoy's bedroom in Malfoy Manor, down to the small platform for the bed and the dark wood of the dresser. Splayed across the middle of the dark green comforter covering the four poster bed on his stomach was the teenager, his prized Snitch floating near his head as he read a heavy book. His hair hung into his face, his legs crossed at the ankles while he propped his weight up on his elbows. He looked up and Hermione had to force a smile at the sudden thought that invaded her mind.

It really did unsettle her, as he grew, that he continued to look more and more like her childhood tormentor.

"Are you hungry? We were going to take supper soon." Hermione held her hands together in front of herself, hoping that today he would accept. He had all but holed himself in his room for the last six days, only coming down to grab a bite to eat when he was certain no one else was awake or near the kitchens. Theodore had tried to talk to him three days ago, but Scorpius had brushed him off with the excuse of promising Rhianon another flying session.

"No, I'm not." He returned his eyes to the page he was reading and reached up with his left hand, blindly catching the Snitch. She sighed and began to turn out of the room, her hand closing around the elegant handle. Hermione stopped again.

"Scorpius." At the sound of his name he glanced up once more, eyes carefully hidden beneath his blond bangs. "I'm sorry. And I wish we could sit down and talk about this, sooner rather than later. I just…I'm sorry, okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded twice and released the Snitch. They watched it hover in silence for a moment or so before he caught it again. "Can you shut the door when you go?"

"Right." Her smile was sad then and she stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind herself. She moved to the right, her back colliding with the wall as she covered her mouth with one hand and began to cry.

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><p>Scorpius woke to the buzzing of his wand alarm, blinking against the dim glow of the tip of his wand. He stifled a yawn and threw back the covers, shivering as the cold air in the room hit his bare upper torso. Within minutes he had remedied the situation, his favorite flying shirt covering his chest as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants. He carried his flying boots in his right hand, his wand in his left as he began to leave his room. It was well past one in the morning and as he glanced at the end of the hallway, he grinned to see exactly how much moonlight there was. Tonight would be the perfect night for flying without a wand to help light the way.<p>

The door to Rhianon's room was pushed open easily and quietly, as it usually was, and Scorpius tiptoed to the edge of the little girl's bed, shaking her awake gently.

"Rhi, come on, it's time to fly." He whispered, setting his boots on the floor beside the bed while he helped her sit up. She yawned prettily, her tiny hands patting over her mouth as Scorpius tried to tug a small coat onto her arms. He found the slippers for her feet and then she reached up to be carried, like always, and Scorpius lifted her with one arm onto his hip before crouching to grab his boots again.

It was much harder to walk quietly with the extra weight, but he managed, and soon the two were out in the gardens heading for the shed where the brooms were kept. Scorpius had to keep bouncing Rhianon to make sure she was awake but was rewarded with a giggle every time, proving that the little girl was just as excited as he was.

"Do you see the moon?" He nudged his chin up towards the sky and Rhianon turned to look over her shoulder, nodding. "We won't even have to use my wand tonight."

"The moon wants us to fly!" She giggled again and played a game of drumming her hands against Scorpius' shoulder.

"Exactly." He bumped the end of his nose against hers and looked to the shed, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of a silhouette leaning against the small structure. Rhianon squirmed but Scorpius just tightened the arm holding her.

"A little early in the morning to be flying, is it not?" Theodore asked, pointedly directing his gaze at the moon. "Although I suppose you should count yourself lucky. Hermione wanted to be the one to catch you outside in the middle of the night ever since this little one let it slip at breakfast that you take her flying by moonlight."

"Daddy, are you going to fly with us?" Rhianon asked innocently, still wiggling to try and be put down. Scorpius didn't slack off in his grip.

"You going to tell me off?" Scorpius asked harshly. Theodore sighed and shook his head.

"Put me down!" Rhianon finally demanded. Scorpius grunted but let the girl slide to the ground. She instantly marched across the grass to her father, tugging on his sleeve. For the most part, Theodore kept his eyes on Scorpius.

"No, I had not planned to come out here and cause a scene. I merely wanted to ensure you take every precaution necessary whilst flying with my four year old daughter."

"I'm almost five, Daddy."

"We're safe. I don't let her fly by herself at night, she rides with me."

"You could conduct these sessions in the afternoon. It would be much less hazardous and probably cause less of a problem for everyone if something were to go wrong."

"Right." Scorpius scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "So when is Mum going to come yell at me?"

"She does not plan to yell. All she wants to do is talk to you." Theodore said before huffing impatiently at the girl still pulling on his sleeve. "What, Rhianon?"

"Can we fly now?" She asked, her wide eyes somehow impossibly big as she begged. Theodore rolled his eyes but waved his hand at the broom shed to unlock it. She turned her head in Scorpius' direction. "Come, Scor, fly!"

"You go ahead and get the brooms, Rhi. Be there in a second." Scorpius replied to the little girl, who just pouted but stalked off into the shed and began trying to get the broom. The blond teenager turned to Theodore then. "I don't know if I'll ever want to talk to her, you know."

"You will have to, if you wish to know the answers."

"Figured I could just go back to the manor and talk to the portraits for that."

"You could, if the portraits knew how to answer you. You would find it most frustrating to travel all the way there only to discover that, since the portrait of Draco was painted when he was seventeen, it does not contain the memories or knowledge of twenty year old Draco." Theodore pointed out. Scorpius frowned and shuffled his feet, irritated. "Look, Scorpius, please do us all a favor and agree to sit down and at least listen. You do not have to speak, but I am on the cusp of begging you to just let her talk it out."

"Scor! Your broom is too heavy!" Rhianon's tiny voice wafted out of the shed and Scorpius smiled despite the serious conversation he was engaged in. Theodore sighed and let a hand fall on the blond's shoulder.

"Be careful, please. I would rather not have my line end because of a flying accident." Theodore began to walk back up to the back steps of the manor. He turned when Scorpius called out his name.

"I'll sit down with her tomorrow, okay?"

"That, Scorpius, is up to you."

* * *

><p>Scorpius rolled to face the window in his room, still firmly tucked in under the sheets of his bed, and felt the disappointment sink in as rain pounded against the glass panes. After his small discussion with Theodore only hours earlier in the gardens, he had been hoping to get to walk around the grounds and talk everything over with Hermione. As it turned out, he would probably spend the day cooped up inside.<p>

A quick wave of his wand let him know that he had slept in past breakfast again, but this was nothing new to him or anyone else in the house. He took his time getting out of bed, stretching languidly until every last joint in his body had popped at least once. He only bothered to put on a shirt as he headed out of his bedroom, leaving his boxer shorts uncovered by sweatpants. Bare feet were silent in the thick carpet that lined the hallway and staircase, one hand skimming along with banister as he approached the foyer. A sharp left swung him around and towards the kitchens, the double swinging doors propped open. Scorpius immediately froze. He had forgotten it was Sunday.

Sunday mornings were reserved for family cooking. Hermione had made Theodore learn how to cook and, when Rhianon was finally old enough, Hermione insisted that the girl know her way around a kitchen. Months before Scorpius would have been there too, laughing and throwing flour at anyone close enough as they made pancakes and biscuits and deliciously crunchy bacon.

His mouth had started to water and the sound of Rhianon's laughter snapped Scorpius back to the present day. With a quick shake of his head he took a few swift steps forward and entered the kitchen.

"Scor!" Rhianon shrieked in delight and clambered down from her cooking stool, her face plastered with flour and a bit of egg. Hermione's attention jerked up from the stove top, her mouth hanging open at the sight of the blond boy now taking a bite of the bacon in Rhianon's grasp. Theodore let the sip of tea already in his mouth sit, not daring to swallow in case he disturbed the moment.

"Morning." Scorpius said cheerfully as he scooped up a plate on the side of the stove. Hermione, dumbfounded, just nodded and let out a squeak of surprise when Scorpius bumped her shoulder with his forehead affectionately en route to the table. Theodore finally swallowed his tea, setting the cup back on its saucer while he kicked a chair out for Scorpius.

Soon Rhianon and Hermione had full plates as well and the quartet sat to eat breakfast together. Hermione simply stared at Scorpius for a full minute, as if she were afraid he would dart out of the room any moment. The blond entertained himself by playing with Rhianon, dipping a finger into the syrup of his pancakes and smearing it across her forehead. She retaliated by squirting the juice of an orange slice at his cheek.

"I have to say I'm surprised to see you down here, Scorpius." Hermione found her voice at long last. Scorpius nodded and chewed the final bit of his bacon before replying.

"Figured there's nothing else to do, the weather isn't going to cooperate today and, well, it has been two weeks." He gave a noncommittal shrug but shot a quick glance at Theodore, who simply smiled into his teacup. Scorpius stuck his tongue out at Rhianon and stole a blueberry from her plate. Rhianon giggled. "If it's possible, I want to talk to you."

"Oh." Hermione sat up a little straighter, a happy expression flooding her face. "Of course! We can start right after breakfast, if you wish."

"In the library?" Scorpius asked, shoveling the last few bits of eggs onto his fork. Hermione nodded and reached for Theodore's hand.

"I believe I owe Rhianon another fort excursion in the study anyway." Theodore grinned when the little girl bounced in her chair, excited, and began babbling about the new pillow fort designs she had been thinking about.

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><p>Hermione stared at the double doors that opened into the library, wringing her hands nervously. She knew Scorpius had already gone inside roughly an hour ago, more than likely looking for a Quidditch book or something to entertain himself with. She toyed with the hem of her shirt, stalling desperately for time. With a final inhale she pushed open the doors, her eyes landing on the head of bright hair that popped up from the couch cushions.<p>

"Thought you got lost." Scorpius joked lamely, rising to his feet as Hermione came into the library. She moved to stand right before him, looking up the distance between their heights. She studied him then.

His hair curled more than she remembered Draco's doing, flipping up at the ends no matter the length. A few tight curls hung near the tops of his ears. Blond bangs hung down over his forehead and into his eyes, covering the dark eyebrows he had inherited from his father. His eyes, wide and set deep in his head, were a bright silver blue, darker towards the outside of the irises. Hermione knew the color came from Astoria, as the Malfoys were infamous for their glacially tinted eyes. His cheekbones were definitely all Malfoy though, sharp even at sixteen. His nose turned up just the slightest bit at the tip, like the photo of Astoria, but it was sloped similarly to Draco's. His mouth was fuller than Draco's too, but easily curved into a smirk regardless. His chin was less pointed, more square shaped than anything, and Hermione didn't know where the hard jawline came from.

"You're doing that weird thing where I don't know if you're still inside your own head or not." Scorpius waved a hand in front of Hermione's face and she started, stepping backwards quickly.

"I just realized I had never truly taken a good look at you." She smiled briefly and then took a seat in the armchair opposite the sofa. He flopped back onto the couch gracefully. "So."

"So." Scorpius shrugged and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I guess I just want to know why, at the end of the day, really."

"Because he asked." Hermione answered, surprised at how easily the answer came to her. "Draco asked me to take you. It was an awful night, cold and rainy and miserable, but he brought you to me and he asked and…I said yes."

"Yeah, but _why_?" Scorpius didn't look up at her this time, studying his hands as he laced his fingers together. "Why'd you do it? You hated each other in school, he was on the Dark side, and you were in the Order. You had no reason to help him."

"I was helping you, not him." Hermione whispered. "He gave you a chance. He wanted you to be better."

"He could have done it himself." He sounded bitter then and Hermione grimaced. "He could have _tried_. Could have done something other than give me up."

"It was selfish and selfless all at the same time, Scorpius. You have to understand that. He knew that he wanted you to be better than he was, and he knew he couldn't give that to you." Hermione scratched at the back of her neck with one hand. "Draco was all by himself. His father had been taken to prison, his mother had passed away, and his wife had just died. He knew that you needed a better life, and I don't to this day know how he gave you up because if I had to even _think_ about doing the same, with Rhianon, I don't think I could."

A beat of silence passed and Scorpius picked at a loose thread on the cushion beneath him. Hermione chewed on a thumbnail nervously.

"So why didn't you tell me?" He asked, still picking at the unraveling thread. Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair as she considered the best way to answer his query.

"I suppose most of it was because Draco demanded that I not tell you. He was adamant, he even told Theo not to let me tell you, and I guess part of me wanted to honor the last wish of a dying man and so I never said anything. I should have, and I lost count of the times I could have said something, could have brought it up to you and explained everything, but I backed down every time because I didn't want to put that kind of knowledge on your shoulders so early." She sighed once more, shifting in her chair uncomfortably. "I didn't want to hurt you, and by trying not to, I ended up hurting you more than I could have if I had just been honest from the start. I understand if you're angry with me."

"I'm not mad, really. Just…confused, for the most part." Scorpius shrugged. "I kind of exploded on Theo when he caught me at Malfoy Manor a couple weeks back."

"Exploded?"

"Did a lot of shouting, mostly." Scorpius' face reddened. "Said some things I'm not really too proud of."

"Well, we've all been there before." Hermione gave him a gentle smile and he nodded. Scorpius continued to pick at the thread he had been teasing out of the cushion, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. Hermione waited for him to speak again, knowing that he had something of consequence on his mind.

"I've done some thinking, since I got back, and I was going to ask you if…" He closed his mouth suddenly, biting his lower lip again before he went on. "I was going to ask if I could, when I turn seventeen, if I could maybe move a few things into Malfoy Manor and…and kind of, well, live there." He closed his eyes tight then, his face scrunching as if in pain. "And I was planning on taking the name. On my birthday."

"Oh." Hermione fell back against the soft pillowed support of the chair, her mind blank. She had to put effort into the smile she gave the boy she had come to call her son and she knew the facial expression didn't reach her eyes at all. "Right. Well. Of course, you'd want to take the name. That's…right. Yes, I…I don't see why that should cause too many problems, really, I suppose." She fidgeted. "And as far as moving into Malfoy Manor…"

She wanted to stomp her foot and tell him that he absolutely could **not** move out of the house, could **not** take any of his personal belongings and go to the ancient familial home to which he belonged, could **not** turn his back on her because she had raised him, damnit all, and he would **not** just leave her behind because he had turned seventeen and thought he was an adult! She wanted to, she wished beyond all wishing that she could tell him all of this and more, but the rational side of her brain finally clicked into gear and prodded her moral compass just the tiniest bit.

"Well." She sighed then, ignoring the way her throat closed with what she knew to be tears. "If you did it in stages, you know, so it wouldn't be so much of a shock for everyone, then I don't…I don't see why you couldn't go." Hermione failed to keep back the first round of tears. Scorpius sat up straight on the couch, concerned by the crying woman. "I know it's what you need to do, and what you want, but…but you're _my_ boy, _my_ son, and it hurts, it does, but I know it's the best thing I can do after everything else and…if I let you go, then maybe you'll come back, and I-"

"I'll come back." He interrupted suddenly, standing from the couch and walking to her chair. He stopped right in front of her, holding a hand out so he could pull her up and into a hug. "I'll come back, I will."

Because he knew, at the end of the day, despite his confusion and her sixteen year silence, regardless of his actual parentage, Hermione Granger was his mother.

And Scorpius Malfoy was her son.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Anyway. That's that and...hopefully this sits well with you all. Please let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: **Sorry this has been so slow going. Life has been quite the temperamental bitch lately and we've not exactly been on the same page with each other. She has plans for me that I'm not too happy about. It's been a rollercoaster lately, so, please, if you can, bear with me. Thank you all for the continued love and support throughout this process of a story! You make me so indescribably happy!

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><p>"Got everything?" Hermione worriedly wrung her hands as she watched Scorpius tuck his shrunken trunk into his pocket. It was two days before the start of his Sixth Year. He had asked her a week earlier if he could begin moving some of his belongings into Malfoy Manor and she had, albeit reluctantly, agreed to let him. Scorpius had then asked to spend the last few days of his summer vacation at Malfoy Manor in order to spruce the place up. Hermione had refused to answer outright and sat on her decision for a few days until finally Theodore talked her into letting Scorpius go.<p>

"Yeah, I should." Scorpius patted his pocket and looked around the room, as if sizing up the minute details. Hermione let out a haggard sigh, her insides twisting with anxiety. Scorpius gave her a lopsided grin, attempting to ease her nerves. "I'll be a Floo call away, Mum. Five minutes to get in touch with me, at most. Owls work too."

"Are you sure you don't need me or Theo to help?"

"I probably do, but I want to do this by myself." Scorpius shrugged and ignored the way Hermione looked far too eager to come with him. "It'll help get my head in the right place before school. It's going to be hectic enough, what with choosing new courses since I got my scores back."

"Be sure to still take a full course, please." Hermione said, distracted by the change in subject. "You shouldn't shy away from heavy work just because you got good scores on your O.W.L.s. You need to keep up the studies, regardless of how smart you are."

"I know, Mum, I know." He rolled his eyes and took a small step closer to the fireplace. She moved with him. "The only class I will probably drop is Muggle Studies."

"What? Why?" Hermione frowned then, confused. Scorpius shrugged.

"I don't really need it, considering I was practically raised as one, by someone who comes from a long line of Muggles. You know how it goes." Scorpius saw the way Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly. "Come off it, you know as well as I do that I don't need the class. It's a waste, and if I drop it, then I can concentrate more on bringing my History of Magic scores up."

And with that, he had won the argument on scheduling classes. Hermione nodded and agreed that he had a point, and that History of Magic was indeed not his strongest suit, and that he definitely needed to put forth his best foot in order to get at least an 'E' for the next two years.

"I'll owl you when I get settled in tonight, yeah?" Scorpius scooped up a handful of Floo powder and dropped a kiss on Hermione's cheek before disappearing in a flash of bright green. Hermione blinked a few times, realizing that he had baited her with the conversation about his classes in order to move closer to the fireplace.

She was still grumbling about underhanded Slytherins when Theodore found her reorganizing the books in the library much later that day.

"I dropped Rhianon with the Potters. They were thrilled to have her, but I think that is mainly due to our agreement to take on Olivia tomorrow evening." Theodore wasn't about to let the noncommittal grunt he received from his wife slide. "Did Scorpius get off to the manor?"

"Yes, he did." Hermione scowled deeply and slammed one book back onto its shelf rather viciously. "Bloody Slytherin. Got me fussing over his classes and had one foot in the grate before I knew what was going on! I swear! Slytherins!"

"We are a good lot, are we not?" Theodore asked cheekily. Hermione chucked the book in her hand at his head and he caught it easily. "There, there. You cannot blame the boy for wanting to escape. You have been quite the smothering parent for the last month."

"Smothering?" Hermione gasped, offended, and made to throw another book. Theodore's hand closed around her wrist to prevent more violence. "I don't smother my children!"

"Darling, you poked your head in his bathroom during his shower to ask him if he needed a towel. There were two hanging on the wall." Theodore reminded her. Hermione opened her mouth to respond but quickly shut it, glaring at her husband for being right. She pulled her wrist from his hand and carried on shelving the books. He watched for a moment and, when he had figured out her organizing pattern, he grabbed a stack of books and began handing them to her in the proper order. They passed nearly an hour with this task until Hermione had calmed down a bit.

"So what all will he get when he turns seventeen and takes the Malfoy name on?" Hermione asked as they sat together on the couch, a tray of tea and biscuits thoroughly devoured on the table in front of them. Theodore took the final sip of his cup of tea.

"The Manor and its grounds." Theodore sighed. "Draco liquidated all other Malfoy properties into funds for research regarding his curse, so there will be no outlying homes that Scorpius has to worry over." He clucked his tongue then, shaking his head. "Shame, really, because the estate in Greece was absolutely beautiful this time of year and I think I could have managed to secure us some proper vacation days there."

"Greece?" Hermione twisted round from her spot cuddled against Theodore to gape at him. "They had property in Greece?"

"As well as Russia and New Zealand." Theodore shrugged. "My family used to have a home in southern France but I sold it. I never did like the place, despite it being my hideout for the War. My father was particularly fond of the house and my mother had a lovely garden out back, but I could never get comfortable there. It was the first thing I got rid of when I came of age and inherited everything once my father received the Kiss."

"I will never wrap my head around having several different properties." Hermione shook her head but settled back against Theodore's side, pulling her legs up onto the couch. "So just Malfoy Manor then?"

"And the small inheritance I tucked away for him." Theodore busied himself with spinning his teacup on his knee, avoiding Hermione's stare for as long as he possibly could. At long last he sighed and faced his wife. "When Draco was trying to find a cure, he was pouring money into St. Mungo's faster than he was making it. I convinced him to let me handle the financial transactions once Astoria was further along in her pregnancy, as it was not a pleasant one, and that allowed him to focus on Astoria and Scorpius while I worried about the money. I started scraping off the top of his allotments to St. Mungo's and putting it in a secret account I had opened."

"How much?"

"Well, I have been fairly lackadaisical about checking-"

"How much, Theodore?"

"Just over two million Galleons."

The room went purely silent and Theodore swore he heard the dust particles floating in the air bouncing off one another. Hermione had gone stone still next to him, rigid as a board. She was staring straight ahead, unblinking, and Theodore tried to ignore the discomfort settling in his stomach.

"Well?" He finally probed, chancing a look over at her. She smiled tightly.

"He'll be comfortable, then, when he's on his own."

* * *

><p>Albus looked up from his midday snack to see an owl perched on the kitchen windowsill. He stepped around Remus and Romulus, who were once again wrestling on the floor, to get to it, plucking the letter from the bird's beak. It took off and Albus stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth, opening the envelope addressed to him.<p>

_Al,_

_ Floo over. Malfoy Manor. Grate's open._

_- S_

Albus choked a little on his sandwich, bits of unchewed ham and lettuce spraying his twin brothers. He spun on his heel immediately and burst out of the kitchen in search of his parents, the letter clutched tightly in his hand.

"Mum! Dad!" He called around by the staircase that led up two flights, hoping that they would hear him. When he got no answer he grumbled but started climbing the steps anyway, taking the pack of crackers out of his back pocket and opening them.

"You looking for Mum?" Lily asked as she stepped out of her bedroom, her hair swept into a long ponytail over one shoulder. Albus nodded and offered her a cracker, which she broke in half to eat. "She was out in the garden with Liv and Rhi last I saw her."

"And Dad?"

"He's with Uncle Ron, doing some kind of older male bonding thing or whatever." Lily wiped her hand free of cracker crumbs on her jeans and fixed her brother with a deep stare. "What do you need Mum for?"

"Need to ask her if I can go see Scor." Albus said quickly. Lily narrowed her eyes.

"Why don't you just ask Aunt Hermione if you can come over?"

"Well, it's a little complicated. Scor's business, not mine."

"This have anything to do with why he wasn't with you on the platform at the end of term? Or the dodgy envelope you gave Aunt Hermione?" Lily tried to hide her smug smile when Albus swore under his breath. The Gryffindor girl crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head, expectant. Albus sighed and shoved the letter into her hand. "Malfoy Manor?"

"Put it together, you're smart enough." Albus scowled, waiting until Lily's jaw dropped wide open.

"Scor's a Malfoy?!"

"Keep it down!" Albus flapped his hands at her and she whispered an apology as she gave him the letter back. "But yes, he is. Just found out last term, kept it under wraps until he got everything figured out with his mum and now I guess he's got everything sorted."

"Right." Lily began braiding her ponytail, pursing her lips for a moment. "Well let's go find Mum, we have a visit to make."

"Oh no! You're not going!" Albus raced down the steps after his sister, reaching out to try and grab her ponytail where it was flying over her shoulder. She ducked, expecting the yank, and swerved to the right out into the hallway at the bottom of the staircase. Lily burst into the garden where Ginny was sitting on a bench as Rhianon and Olivia dug holes in the grass.

"Mum!" Lily sprinted to her mother, Albus hot on her heels. "Can we go and visit Scorpius?"

"Not her, just me!" Albus half shouted, glaring at his intervening sister. Ginny looked at her two older children and focused on Albus.

"What've you got against Lily going with you?"

"Mum, you don't understand!" Albus whined, dropping his shoulders for effect. "It's Slytherin stuff! She'd ruin it!" Lily squawked in offense. "Mum, make her stay here! It's boy stuff, Mum! Come on!"

"I'm sure Hermione would like to see Lily." Ginny pointed out. Albus opened his mouth to argue but, in order to keep Scorpius' new dwelling secret, he just blew out a muttered string of colorful language and grabbed Lily's wrist, dragging her into the house. "Be back by dinner!"

* * *

><p>Noah tumbled out of the Floo ungracefully, tripping sideways over his own two feet as Scorpius grinned at his roommate. When Noah had righted himself and cleaned the dust off his clothes he took a look around and let out a low whistle of appreciation.<p>

"Dad always told stories about the ballrooms here. Guess he wasn't lying after all." Noah stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "So, I gathered from your letter that you aren't a half-blood, and your obnoxious hair finally rings a bell now."

"Surprised you didn't piece it together, honestly."

"Well, you're the smart one." Noah rolled his eyes and surveyed the empty room. "Where's Rosh and Al?"

"Rosh is on holiday with her parents in New Guinea, apparently." Scorpius turned back to the fireplace as it began to glow green again. "This'll be Albus."

When the dark haired boy exited the grate he shot a sour glance over his shoulder at the redhead on his heels. Scorpius blanched before looking angrily at Albus, who held up a defensive hand.

"Little conniving bitch wormed her way onto this trip. Got to Mum before I could, she would have ratted you right out if I had tried to make her stay behind." Albus all but growled his words out, glaring furiously at Lily the entire time. The girl simply smiled as sweetly as she could and stepped closer to Scorpius, patting his shoulder affectionately.

"Should I call you Malfoy now?" Lily giggled when the blond scoffed and rolled his eyes. Noah frowned.

"No, she brings up a good point." Noah said, falling to Scorpius' right as the three boys trailed after Lily while she began her exploration of the mansion. "Are you taking the name?"

"On my birthday." Scorpius reached out suddenly and grabbed Lily's wrist, preventing her from opening a parlor he had yet to enter. "Don't touch anything and don't open any room I haven't been in!"

"That's practically all of them, isn't it though?" Lily countered. Scorpius released her arm but turned on his heel and marched up the stairs. "Well?"

"Just shut up and do as you're told, Lily!" Albus exclaimed, frustrated. The redhead harrumphed and stomped her foot. "Come on, or go somewhere and get good and lost so you don't bother us!"

"Fine!" She ran to catch up with the trio of Slytherins and stayed a few steps behind them as they chattered about going back to school.

Lily's attention was soon diverted, however, when they approached the long wall filled with portraits.

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><p>Ginny sighed and wiped her hands on her thighs as she stood from the bench where she had spent most of her afternoon supervising the digging up of her yard by two little girls whilst reading her latest romantic novel. The book was now tucked under her right arm as she picked up a few toys in the backyard, following the two little girls into the house as they screamed and made a mad dash for the huge box of dress up costumes in Olivia's room.<p>

"Mum! What's for dinner?"

"Is it roast again?"

"Not roast, please, we had it just the other day!"

"Can we do a pie for dessert?"

"No, a cake!"

"No, neither, I want-"

"Cupcakes!" Remus and Romulus grinned at her, their simultaneous request echoing for a moment in the kitchen as Ginny set her book on the counter. The boys were on either end of the kitchen table, bouncing on the balls of their feet and balancing their weight on the palms of their hands for seconds at a time. She turned to them, exhausted by their presence, and wondered how her mother ever told Fred and George apart without different haircuts or clothes.

Ginny had insisted that one of her twins have short hair or at least an identifying mark or something so she wouldn't drive herself insane trying to figure out which one was which. As such, Remus typically sported longer hair than his twin, except on the occasion when they grew their hair out and then lied to their mother about who was actually who. Romulus had been on the wrong end of a toy wand once and gotten smacked in the nose, breaking it, and the middle of his nose had been slightly wonky ever since. At the moment, Remus was to her left and Romulus to her right.

"Rom, go Floo your Aunt Hermione and ask her to remind Lily and Albus to be back in time for dinner. Rem, go watch your sister and Rhianon while I start dinner." She held up a hand when both of their mouths opened. "Get those things finished and I'll make your cupcakes."

Four minutes later, however, Ginny was more concerned about finding her son and daughter when Romulus reported that Aunt Hermione had told him that neither Lily nor Albus had ever showed up at the Nott property.

* * *

><p>"Are you mental?!" Ginny shrieked the second Theodore had ushered all of the children from the room. He led them to the staircase, gave explicit instructions to the twins about where to take the little girls, and then ran back to his wife's defense. Ginny had launched herself into a full tirade by that point. "-mind and if you think for one second it's a good idea for him to be living in that house by himself then, well, have you got another thing coming! You don't know if there are any Dark artifacts still in the place, or better yet, if there's any Dark magic lingering in the hallways and, Merlin Hermione! Did you even tell him about the parlor?"<p>

"Ginny, please. Keep your voice down." Hermione cast a worried glance at the doors. Theodore waved a hand and they flew shut. When he nodded at her Hermione knew that he had also cast a Silencing charm about the room. "Look, Gin, I know it's difficult to understand but please try. I had already kept this from him for so long and I don't want him to resent me any more than he probably already does. This was the easiest way."

"No, the easiest way is to tell him absolutely not and deal with the resentment later!" Ginny huffed. "And now my children are there!"

"Well, to be fair I do not think Albus was exactly forthcoming with information regarding his intended destination." Theodore interjected. Ginny glared at the man. "The boy clearly belongs in Slytherin."

"Hush, you." Ginny snapped irritably. "Does Scorpius even know what went on in there? What kind of campsite it was for Death Eaters for goodness knows how long? And that you were tortured there?"

"No, he's blissfully ignorant of those facts." Hermione said quietly. "I didn't think it was prudent to tell him all of the nasty secrets about his family."

"But you're perfectly fine with him moving into the house where you were nearly killed?" Ginny shook her head, hollow laughter falling from her mouth. "Circe Hermione, and I thought you were smart."

"What Hermione decides to tell her son is her business, Ginevra." Theodore said coolly. "Scorpius will soon be of age and at liberty to live wherever he pleases. It was out of respect that he even asked for permission in the first place, and if Malfoy Manor is the place where he chooses to begin his adult life, then that is his prerogative. He should not have to feel conflicted about his choice of dwelling simply because of a terrible circumstance that took place two decades ago."

"Oh, stop using your lawyer language at me, you…you insufferably right man." Ginny made a show of flapping her hands at Theodore but her shoulders sank slowly as she realized that Theodore spoke truthfully.

The three adults came to an agreement in the silence that filled the room. Ginny sighed at long last and put her hands on her hips.

"I suppose I should take them dinner, then." The redhead snorted and Hermione cracked a tiny smile. "None of them will have a clue what the hell to do in a kitchen that hasn't been used or updated in twenty years. Not to mention they're all underage."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Well, please let me know what you think of everything. I should be able to put up another chapter in about a week or so, depending on my schedule and whatever curve balls life decides to hit me with this time. Thanks lovelies!


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Well. Not much to say. I've been getting hit over the head with Life's Hammer of Bullshitty Bullshit, but oh well. It took me awhile to piece this chapter together too, and I apologize for the wait. I hope it's worth something.

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><p>Dinner proved to be a very amusing affair. After Hermione and Ginny had made their appearance, and Ginny had delivered a very punctuated lecture to her children, the group of six sat down to a well cooked meal and made small talk.<p>

Eventually the conversation turned to Quidditch, with Albus, Ginny, and Scorpius dominating the conversation. Scorpius was arguing the pros of being a Seeker, while Ginny and Albus built their case for the advantage of being a Chaser. Lily joined in halfway through, piping up that she enjoyed watching her father fly as a Seeker. Noah and Hermione merely sat silent, entertained by the four vehemently arguing persons at the table.

Hours after all the plates were cleared, the conversation finally lulled. Scorpius and Lily had conceded that while Chaser allowed for more combative flying, Seeker required faster reflexes. Ginny and Albus had begrudgingly agreed. Hermione had then seized the opportunity to begin clearing the table.

Noah was the first to leave, surprised by the amount of time that had passed. He shook hands with Albus and Scorpius, gave a short wave to Lily, and said his proper goodbyes to Hermione and Ginny before disappearing through the Floo. Ginny herded her children up next, leaving a smacking kiss on Scorpius' cheek and embracing Hermione before the Potters' were whisked off in green flames.

Now, as Scorpius stood in the large ballroom where the Floo was connected, he found the mirth of the evening suddenly sucked out of the air.

Hermione stood next to the fireplace, one hand on the mantle and the other on her hip. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, one foot tapping nervously on the marble floor. Her fingers holding the mantle were drumming as well, a sign that Scorpius knew pointed to her inner turmoil.

Without warning she spoke and he nearly fell over in surprise.

"I need to see the east drawing room." Hermione's head snapped up from her private musings and Scorpius opened his mouth a few times, trying to form a decent reply. "Have you opened it yet?"

"I don't…I don't think so." He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. Hermione nodded, her mouth set in a thin line.

"There are…things, Scorpius, that I haven't told you about. Things about the War, about what happened." She subconsciously rubbed her left forearm. Scorpius watched the action carefully. "It's another fact I shouldn't have omitted."

"War stories? Like Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron?"

"I'm afraid I have one that isn't quite so glamorous." Hermione gave him a grim smile, still rubbing her arm, and began moving away from the fireplace. "Walk with me."

Scorpius didn't ask how she seemed to know where she was going, or why a sudden weight started building in the pit of his stomach. He simply fell into step with his mother as she guided him through the intricate corridors.

"After Harry, Ron, and I had been on the run for quite some time, some number of months, I can't even tell you how long, we were captured." She squared her shoulders a little bit more as they turned left down a passageway. "When the Snatchers caught up with us, they thought they recognized Harry. Lord Voldemort had set up his headquarters here, in Malfoy Manor. He had essentially overthrown Lucius Malfoy as head of household and had appointed Bellatrix Lestrange as a lead here."

They paused before two massive doors that were pulled tightly shut. A soft gleam of magic surrounded the doorway, indicating that the doors were sealed closed.

"Bellatrix immediately called for Draco once we arrived. I knew he recognized me and he had to know who Ron was. He spent six years at school being a bully and we were his main targets." Hermione reached into her pocket, twirling her wand between her fingers slowly. "He never gave her our names. He was vague. Very vague." She looked at the teenager beside her. "He was about your age at the time, and sometimes I think it was the bravest thing I'd ever seen him do."

A gentle flick of her wrist had the glow of the doors lessening. Scorpius watched in silence as she worked, eventually tearing through the last of the sealing charms.

"The Snatchers had gone through our bags, and in one of mine, I had hidden the Sword of Gryffindor. None of us knew it, but Bellatrix believed that she had the real sword in the vault at Gringotts. She went absolutely mental." Hermione made to reach for the door but stopped, pulling her hand back into her chest. Scorpius blinked, finally taking in the way she was trembling. He put a hand on her arm, stepping in front of her and opening the left door so they could just see inside the room.

It was a massive space, just like every other room in the house, except it was in complete disarray. The curtains had all been torn from the windows, crumpled in heaps on the floor under the rods where they had once hung. Several glass panes were broken, shattered pieces glittering on the floor. The wrought iron chandelier, once the eye catching gem of the room, lay in severed shards in the middle of the chamber. Its broken crystals looked like spilled tears.

"Oh, Merlin." Hermione slumped against the doorway, her face betraying her age. Scorpius swore she looked no older than twenty, wide brown eyes surveying the damaged room as memories swam right beneath her eyelids. She reached out at him suddenly, as if she needed reassurance that he was still there, and he grabbed her hand hard. Her fingers twisted through his painfully tight, her knuckles popping with the force she was using.

"I'm here, Mum." He brought his other hand to clasp around the back of the one already holding his, offering what support he could. With a shaky breath Hermione crossed the threshold and started speaking again.

"Bellatrix started screaming at us, demanding to know how we got the sword. She grabbed me. It had come from my bag. She thought I had done it. Harry and Ron were…taken, down there." She pointed to a staircase that led down out of the room. "The cellar. And I…" Her eyes were drawn to a spot just short of a decorative rug, staring unblinkingly at the dark wooden floor.

She slowly withdrew her hand from both of his, reaching down to the sleeve of her left arm. Within a few rolls, she bared her forearm and held it up to the last of the light filling the room. Scorpius felt his stomach take a wild turn.

_Mudblood_.

"She was a fan of knives, Bellatrix, and she held…she held me down and marked me. It went on for hours, I don't even know how long it really was and I try not to think about it ever, but I can't help it, and I never wanted you to find out because…because that's how I protect you, and now…now you're here and it's this manor and I just…" She broke off into a hitching breath, the worldwide precursor to sobs, and Scorpius could only stare at her helplessly. "I'm so horribly selfish because this is where you should have grown up, where you should have lived and I never should have hidden any of this from you but do you see, do you see why it took me forever to answer you?"

"Yeah." He swallowed thickly, unable to stop scanning the room as if a ghost would appear at any moment. "Mum, I don't…I never wanted-"

"I know, I know!" She turned to him, wiping at her cheeks with both hands. "I don't blame you, sweetheart, I don't. This is what you want. This is what you want to do and I don't want to stop you but…but there's that part of me, still, that doesn't want you near any of this. I'm frightened and it's such an unrealistic fear of mine that I feel stupid for having it, but I'm so afraid that one day I'll wake up and I won't know who you are. That one day I'll wake up and you won't be the little boy I got to raise. That…that maybe nature will overtake my nurture."

"It won't!" Scorpius wanted to shout it at her, but he settled for laying a hand on her shoulder and using it to hug her to him. She gave a surprised noise, as he had never truly been outward with displays of affection, but now he was holding her much too tightly. "I can't be like that! It's not me, and it never will be, and I'm sorry it happened to you, I am, I'm so sorry Mum. If I had known, if I had ever known what had gone on here then I never would have-"

"No, this is your dream, Scorpius." Hermione muttered into his shoulder. It was rather aggravating how much taller he was than she. "This is what you want and I can't…I can't let a memory prevent you from moving on with the future."

They stayed like that for a moment, simply standing still holding on to each other while Hermione shivered off the last few cobwebs of a nightmarish memory and Scorpius promised himself to do whatever it took to get this manor back to a proper state.

* * *

><p>"You're cutting it awful close!" Hermione admonished Scorpius as he finally crossed the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. He just rolled his eyes and accepted the hug she was giving him.<p>

It had been three days since their talk in the manor. After they had left the drawing room they had gone back to the kitchen and talked for hours at the table, Hermione answering each and every single one of Scorpius' questions with as much honesty and objectivity as possible.

"Another five minutes and you would have been walking to Hogwarts." Theodore shared his wife's sentiments but shook hands with the blond teen anyway. Scorpius shrugged and passed his luggage cart to a passing attendant, who immediately shrunk it and sent it flying into a back car.

"Scorpius!" Rhianon attacked his legs, her tiny arms wrapping around his thighs. "Mummy said you'll be gone for a long time and I'm going to miss you and you have to promise to be home for Christmas, Scor, you have to promise!"

"Rhi!" He bent and swung her up easily, her arms winding around his neck as she buried her pretty little face into the side of his throat. "I'll be home at Christmas, and if Mum writes me and tells me that you've been super good and that you listen to even Uncle Ron, I'll send something special, yes? Does that sound fair?"

"…and an extra present at Christmas?"

"Two extra presents." Rhianon shrieked her acceptance and let him plaster silly older brother kisses along her cheeks before going back to clinging to his neck.

"Oi! You! You're late!" Noah hollered over the growing crowd on the platform. Scorpius made a rather rude gesture behind Rhianon's back at the other blond boy, who was standing under their predetermined spot with Roshni and Albus. "Come save me, will you?"

"You did remember to pack the papers I sent you yesterday, correct?" Theodore asked, walking alongside Scorpius as he went to join his friends. The teenager shifted Rhianon on his hip and nodded. "Good. The instructions should be clear enough, but if you need an extra set of eyes I will be more than willing to help. Simply sign on your birthday, if all else fails."

"I got it." Scorpius grinned at his stepfather over Rhianon's head. She had tightened her hold on Scorpius' neck once more, unwavering in her attempt to keep him home.

"Took your sweet time getting here, didn't you?" Noah was scowling by the time Scorpius appeared at his side. Theodore had fallen back to talk with Harry, both men animatedly arguing whilst gesturing at Remus and Romulus alternatively.

"Got sidetracked at the manor." Scorpius shrugged as a way of explanation. Noah rolled his eyes and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Albus and Roshni. Scorpius looked at the pair and let out a groan. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Been like this all bloody morning." Noah made a noise of disgust as Albus brushed his knuckles along Roshni's left cheek. "Hey! Knock it off, will you? Bloody hell!"

"Oh, Scorpius!" Roshni blinked a few times, coming back to earth and reality, and then sprang out of Albus' arms to trot over. She gave him a one armed hug, as Rhianon was very much in the way, and then brushed a hand through the little girl's curly hair. "She's lovely. And very much attached to you!"

"As you are to Albus." Scorpius teased. Roshni blushed, a deep crimson spreading across her naturally tanned skin.

"It just…happened." She bit her lip and grabbed Scorpius' free arm with both hands. "You aren't mad, are you?"

"Mad?!" He gave her a crazed look. "Why in the hell would I be mad? He's the one that has to put up with you, and you've gotten him off my back. I should be thanking you, woman!"

"Off your back? What're you trying to say, Malfoy?" Albus scrunched his nose then, shaking his head. "That's bloody weird."

"You have to tell me everything about that, by the way. I tried desperately to leave New Guinea, I so wish I could have been there-"

"To make a pass at Al, no doubt." Noah sniggered. Roshni elbowed him in the gut.

"-perhaps at Christmas we can have a small soiree, yes?" Roshni suggested. Scorpius nodded and swung Rhianon to his other hip, the fatigue of carrying another human starting to settle in his shoulders.

The loud whistle blew overhead for the two minute warning. Noah, Albus, and Roshni all headed to find a compartment, Scorpius promising to catch up momentarily. He knelt then, setting Rhianon on the ground. She instantly turned petulant, hugging his neck harder than before and stomping her feet.

"No! You've been gone too long already, Scor! I don't want you to go!" Used to her hysterics after living with her for several years, Scorpius carefully extracted himself from the crazily strong grip she had on his collar. "I don't want you to go!"

"It'll be alright, Rhianon." He held her little hands in each of his, pressing her fingertips to the top ridges of his cheekbones. "You get to start your own schooling with Olivia and you have fun with her, don't you? You don't need me. I'll be home in no time, and I bet if you ask Mum nicely, she and Theo will bring you to a match when I play. You remember last year, when you got to come watch me play?" A tearful nod was his answer. He gently shook her hands from side to side, touching the tip of his nose now with her fingers. "But you have to be good. You can't whine, you know Mummy hates whining, and you have to always share with Olivia, and you have to always be nice to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron and Aunt Lavender, okay?"

"Okay." Her lower lip was set to trembling again and Scorpius knew he had a limited number of seconds before she launched herself at him again. He let go of her hands and spread his arms for a hug. He lifted her off the ground and spun in a wide circle, her squealing giggles muffled by his shoulder.

Hermione had come over to take control of her daughter, who was quickly passed from Scorpius to the dark haired woman. Rhianon sniffled twice and rubbed at her nose with the back of her hand but kept her crying to a minimum.

"Write as soon as you get settled, please." Hermione leaned up on her toes and kissed Scorpius' cheek. A swift hand brushed some of his hair back from his forehead.

"I will."

"You won't." She grinned and Scorpius shrugged, guilty.

He stepped onto the train right as the departure whistle sounded and the steam released from the brakes. The scarlet train began rolling forward slowly, eventually gaining speed. By the time the train had left the station, Scorpius had found the compartment containing his friends. Albus was leaning back against the window on the right, Roshni reclining back against his chest as if it were perfectly normal. She was already flipping through a book, bright golden eyes skimming over the pages eagerly. Noah was stretched across the other cushion, one leg bent at the knee so he could balance an impressive stack of Chocolate Frogs on his kneecap.

"Move, you tosser." Scorpius took great pleasure in slapping Noah's leg so the tower of chocolate tumbled to the floor. Noah made a noise of indignation but collected his treats, giving them all a quick blow over before spreading them around to his friends.

"Alright then, let's take bets as usual." Noah said as he finished devouring his third Chocolate Frog. Scorpius frowned at him. "Another Weasley-Potter off spring, you know the deal."

"Oh Merlin. The twins." Albus slapped a hand to his forehead with a groan. Roshni smiled and closed her book, reaching into her front pocket to toss two Galleons at Noah.

"Rom is Slytherin. Rem is Ravenclaw."

"Ravenclaw?" Scorpius quirked an eyebrow. "I'm going with an even split. Rem Gryffindor, Rom Slytherin." He passed his two Galleons to Noah.

"I'll shake it up." Albus threw his money over. "Both Gryffindor."

"Alright, I'll make the far out deal then. Rem in Hufflepuff, Rom in Slytherin." Noah pocketed the Galleons and scribbled down all the spoken bets on piece of scrap parchment. Each of the four teens signed their name to it, agreeing to their placed bets, and then Noah turned a smirk towards Albus. "So, Al, your sister is pretty fit."

"You keep those nasty paws off Lily, Westhaven, and I won't strangle you in your sleep." Albus growled, his upper lip curling. Noah nudged Scorpius with a short giggle.

"Guess she's yours then, Scor."

"Absolutely not!" Albus nearly shouted. Roshni reached back and patted his shoulder with a hum of laughter. Scorpius guffawed heartily with Noah for a minute or two, eventually shaking his head.

"She's just a Fifth Year, Noah. I don't know many laps you've taken in our year's dating pool, but I've still got some time." Scorpius slouched down in his seat, propping his ankles up on the cushion opposite him. Noah snorted.

"Yeah, because you've only gone out with Adriana, Filippa, Briseis, and Eva." Noah rolled his eyes. "Seriously. You're a prude."

"Oi, am not!" Scorpius reached over and shoved Noah, who just gave him a lopsided grin.

"Just because Scorpius chooses not to slobber his way through every girl within a decent age range like yourself, Noah, doesn't mean he isn't sought after." Roshni interjected delicately. Albus was running a hand through some of her hair while she read. Her eyes flickered to the two boys across the compartment. "I've heard several rumors more than once in the washroom about some girls attempting to slip him Amortentia." Her grin grew wicked. "And not a single one of them mentioned you, Noah."

"Oh, hush you." Noah halfheartedly kicked at the cushion beneath Roshni.

The rest of the ride to Hogwarts was passed with lighthearted bickering sessions, mainly at Noah's expense, until at long last the four friends loaded into a carriage to go up to the castle.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Well let me know what you think! Thanks lovelies.


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** Whoa! It's just been over a week! New record! Nothing much to report in the world of me, so enjoy the chapter. It's a bit longer than usual, but oh well. I like it. I'll be working on fleshing out Scorpius' emergence as a Malfoy for the next few chapters. Bear with me. Right now I have it ending at chapter 29 and epilogue at 30 so...we shall see.

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><p>"Time!" Albus shouted from his perch on his broomstick. He waved his arms over his head until the rest of the team finally caught on. The Chaser captain waited until his team circled around, quickly doling out his criticisms and setting the practice time for the following evening before dismissing the squad. Scorpius flew side by side with Albus until they touched down by the sideline of the pitch, brooms in hand.<p>

"Today's practice was good." Scorpius said as he untied his arm braces. Albus snorted and yanked on the laces of his own forearm coverings with anger.

"Today's practice was pure rubbish. I swear. How am I supposed to take this team to the final in just six months when the only good flyers I have are you, me, and a couple of Third Years?" Albus grumbled under his breath and shook his head. "Pure shit. Pure, absolute shit I tell you. We'll be lucky to make it past Hufflepuff at this rate!"

"You're too hard on yourself." Scorpius said, swinging his broom up onto his shoulder and squinting off into the distance. Two figures were standing on the top of the hill leading back to the castle. He recognized the long thick braid of Roshni, confirmed when she waved eagerly at Albus. Suddenly the boy perked up, grinning from ear to ear as he caught sight of his girlfriend. "By Merlin you two are disgusting."

"Oh, just because _you're_ stubbornly asexual." Albus teased. Scorpius rolled his eyes and gave his friend a shove, making Albus laugh out loud. "Seriously though. What's the deal?"

"What?"

"You know…" Albus' eyes shifted from side to side quickly as he and Scorpius entered the Slytherin locker room. "Girls?"

"What?"

"Do you like _girls_, you ponce?" Albus asked, exasperated. Scorpius made an affronted noise and thrust his braces into the top shelf of his locker.

"I like them fine, thanks." Scorpius bent and started on the laces on the backs of his legs, tossing his shin guards into the locker quickly. Albus followed suit with his own gear and locker, draping his flying cape over the nearby bench.

"You know, if it's…I wouldn't judge you, you know, if-"

"By Morgana's left tit, Albus!" Scorpius stood up straight immediately, scowling. "I'm not gay!"

"Well, you know, there's never been any solid proof and I swear we'd still be best mates even if you were, so there's no reason to-"

"Albus, this is ridiculous." Scorpius huffed, yanking his jersey over his head and throwing it at Albus. "I know you want me to be gay, just so you can have me all to yourself you bleeding nutter, but I hate to disappoint you. I _like_ girls." Scorpius caught his jersey when Albus tossed it back to him. "I'm just…not as into it right now as you and Noah, apparently."

"But…if you were to find the right one…"

"Then yeah." Scorpius toed off his boots, flicking them into the locker and muttering a cleaning spell after them. He sat on the bench and started to peel off his socks. Albus straddled the bench and pulled off his own jersey, balling the fabric up in both hands.

"Do you…" Albus swore under his breath and punched one fist into the wrung up jersey. "Do you fancy Lily?"

"What?" Scorpius whipped his head around so quickly his neck popped it protest. He lifted a hand to rub at the tendon on the left side of his neck, wincing. "Merlin Al, have you turned into a fucking girl? What's with the interest in my love life all the sudden?"

"It was a honest question!" Albus said, holding his hands up in defense. "You know, what with the comments on the train earlier in the year and all."

"I mean I don't think she's bad looking, but…we grew up together and I think it'd be too much like trying to get it on with my sister." Scorpius shrugged and stood up, untying the knot on the top of his flying trousers to let them pool at his ankles. Albus was already pulling on a pair of dark blue sweatpants, the ones he had worn en route to practice. "So what idea has Roshni planted in your head about the girl I should take out next?"

"Well…" Albus looked down at the bench, an embarrassed flush growing on his cheeks. Scorpius watched, amused. "She did suggest that I not be quite so protective of Lily. Said you're a nice enough bloke, couldn't be too bad for her."

"Al, she's a nice girl." Scorpius clapped a hand on Albus' shoulder and shook his head. "But I don't want to date her."

"Good." Albus let out a breath of relief, visibly relaxing, and pulled on a Slytherin hooded sweatshirt. "Good. Thank Salazar."

Scorpius laughed to himself as he redressed, shoving a pair of grey sweatpants onto his legs and forcing his arms into a long sleeved Falmouth Falcons shirt. The boys made a bit more small talk as they tied on their trainers, both leaving the locker room at the same time in conjoined laughter.

Roshni and the mystery person were waiting for the Slytherins outside the entrance. Albus greeted the dark haired girl with a kiss and slung an arm over her shoulders. Clearly she didn't mind the leftover smell of Quidditch sweat, as she wrapped an arm around his back and tugged herself close to his side.

"Scorpius, this is my friend Elisa." Roshni announced, waving a hand at the girl that had been brought along.

Elisa Baasch was no stranger to Scorpius. She was a Ravenclaw Sixth Year and thus was in many of his classes. The name was familiar enough. He had come to associate the name with snickering and teasing from the boys of all houses. From First Year to Fifth Year, Elisa had been the friend often left behind by her friends due to her glasses, slightly pudgy cheeks, and overwhelming intellect. But the girl that stood shoulder height to Scorpius looked nothing like the Elisa he was familiar with.

She still had black hair, but now it was glossy and straight. Her glasses were gone, either contacts or a magical remedy, and for the first time Scorpius realized that her eyes were a shade darker than a summer sky. Her face had lost most of its former pudginess, but it still had a rounded shape that kept an air of girlishness about her.

"Hi." Elisa smiled almost shyly and offered up a tiny wave. Scorpius nodded in return.

"Hey." He looked over at Albus and Roshni, who were both much too occupied with watching the exchange between Scorpius and Elisa. Roshni snapped out of it first, clearing her throat.

"Scorpius, I was wondering if you could help Elisa with some Ancient Runes homework. I'm positively rubbish at it and she's three chapters ahead of me regardless, so I wouldn't be much help either way. You aced our exam last year, didn't you?" Roshni was lying through her teeth and Scorpius knew it. He could sniff out a set up and this reeked of one. Nevertheless, the slightly hopeful gleam in Elisa's eyes tugged at something within Scorpius.

"Yeah, sure, absolutely." He nodded, almost eagerly, and Elisa beamed at him. "Whatever you need."

* * *

><p>"How's the studying coming along?" Albus asked nosily one evening in late November as he entered the bedroom. He had just come back from a rendezvous with Roshni, the evidence glaringly obvious in the way his hair was freshly tousled and his mouth seemed a little too red to be normal.<p>

"Fine." Scorpius sighed and blearily blinked his eyes, which had been staring down at his Potions book for the last two hours. "This Potions essay may just kill me, but I've got copies of the last three exams, so I hope-"

"No, not _that_ studying you prick." Albus kicked the back of Scorpius' chair and perched on the edge of Noah's cluttered desk. "You know, with Elisa."

"Well, what do you want to know? We meet three times a week." Scorpius shrugged and leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head. "She's very smart, hard to believe she needed help in the first place."

"Hmm." Albus tried to feign a look of innocence. Scorpius swept his left leg out from underneath his desk and swung a kick at Albus' foot. "What?"

"What do you know?"

"You can't be that daft." Albus frowned. Scorpius' expression led the dark haired boy to sigh and then expand. "She's not stupid, Scor. She likes you. She's not doing her homework so she can do it with you. If I have to listen to Rosh tell me one more time how much Elisa talks about you,_ I_ may just take Polyjuice and kiss the girl so she'll shut up."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't he, though?" Noah added as he walked in. "What're we talking about?"

"Scorpius and his complete ineptitude concerning females."

"Merlin's balls on a stick, really? Still? I thought you were tutoring Baasch!"

"I _am_!"

"Not well enough, clearly." Noah snorted. Scorpius scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "When a girl tells you she needs help in a subject and she's a bloody Ravenclaw, she's lying to your fucking face."

"We've taught him nothing, Noah."

"It's killing me, seriously." Noah flopped onto his bed, fixing Scorpius with a serious stare. "If you graduate a virgin, I will consider myself a failure."

"Better go ahead and get in that mindset then." Albus sniggered. Scorpius' scowl deepened. "Oh come on, Scor. We all know it's true."

"Not that it's anything to be ashamed of."

"Oh, don't backtrack now." Scorpius rolled his eyes and leaned back over his Potions essay. "Just because I care more about studies and such than getting my rocks off every day and a half like you two doesn't mean I haven't had my share of fun."

"So we've heard." Noah sat up on his elbows then, grinning like a fool. "And I must say, thanks for whatever you taught Eva, because she was-"

"Really Noah, _really_?" Scorpius grimaced and shook his head at the other boy, who just shrugged and lay back down.

"You should ask Elisa to Hogsmeade this weekend." Albus said suddenly, his toe tapping Scorpius' shoulder lightly. Scorpius made a noncommittal noise as he scratched a few more words into his essay.

"Get a few butterbeers in her. Then maybe you can get in her and-"

"Noah!" Scorpius reached for his inkpot and lobbed it at his roommate. Dark blue ink splattered all over Noah and his bedsheets, but he just laughed and tossed the empty container back to Scorpius. "You're horrid."

"And you're a prude."

* * *

><p>Scorpius couldn't help it. He couldn't seem to stop himself from sneaking glances at the girl across the table as they worked. She was chewing lightly on the end of her quill, one hand propping up her chin as she reread her equations.<p>

"Is this right?" She slid her parchment over to him suddenly, interrupting his thoughts, and he had to blink a few times to refocus. Elisa bit her bottom lip while she waited for Scorpius to read through her deductions.

"Yeah, actually." He nodded and looked up with a grin. "Brilliant."

"Great!" Elisa took back her parchment and slid it into her bag, preparing to leave. She fiddled with the strap, biting into her lower lip again as she looked at the blond boy. He was watching her, eyes unguarded and wide. He leaned forward without warning, both hands flat on the tabletop.

"You don't really need help with your homework, do you?" Scorpius said quietly. Elisa stopped worrying her lip and let her face fall slack, the strap of her bag sliding from her fingers.

"It was a rather lame approach, wasn't it?" She finally conceded with a tiny smile, shy and wary. Scorpius shrugged, one side of his mouth lifting up in the start of a grin. "How long have you known?"

"Since we started."

"It's been nearly three months!"

"Well." Scorpius looked down at his fingers, drumming them on the table for a moment or two before stopping. "That's about how long it took me to work up the courage to ask you to Hogsmeade."

"Oh." Elisa slouched back in her chair, trying to contain the smile threatening to burst onto her face. "Well. I-"

"If you don't want to then-"

"Of course!" She said quickly, a little too loudly for the library. She blushed and Scorpius had to duck his head to hide his chuckling. "I mean, it would be nice. To go to Hogsmeade. With you, I mean."

"Right." He nodded a few times and then started packing up his bag, standing from his seat. Elisa jumped to her feet as well, shouldering her bag as Scorpius kicked his chair in. "I guess…Um, well, what time should we go?"

"My last lesson ends at three Friday afternoon. Four?"

"Four sounds great." He nodded eagerly and gripped the strap of his bag nervously. Elisa gave an anxious laugh and looked around before stepping a little closer to him. She bounced up on her toes and left a quick peck on his cheek, turning speedily and walking from the library.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week came and went without happenstance. Noah was given a detention for falling asleep in Transfiguration, Albus was more concerned with drawing up Quidditch plays than doing his homework, and Scorpius was fighting the urge to spend more time with Elisa than necessary.<p>

"Don't tell me you're actually sweating this date." Noah said as he pulled on his robe. His detention started in half an hour, but he had a long walk up to the trophy room from the dungeon. Scorpius was standing in front of the bathroom door, observing himself in the long mirror.

"I might be." Scorpius admitted, checking his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. "It's been almost two years since I've gone to Hogsmeade with a girl."

"Good grief man." Noah scoffed and motioned for Scorpius to turn around and face him. "Lose the tie. It's a bit much." Scorpius did as told, throwing the tie onto his desk. "Why'd you comb your hair like that? You look like a stiff."

"What? I thought it looked, I don't know, clean?" Scorpius spun again and looked at the mirror, reaching up to run his fingers along the definitive part in his hair. Noah mumbled something under his breath and stepped to the door, throwing it open and yelling down the hall towards the Common Room. Seconds later footsteps approached and then a female's head poked into the room.

"Tell Scor he looks like a douche with his hair like that. He won't believe me." Noah directed the girl, who Scorpius recognized as a Fourth Year. He scowled while the girl nodded at Noah.

"It's better messy, like it always is." The girl said obediently. Noah thanked her and then quickly shut the door. Scorpius muttered to himself as he went about raking his hands through his hair, easily tousling his blond locks back into their trademark windswept style.

Noah smirked triumphantly and moved to stand behind Scorpius, both of his hands coming down hard on either of Scorpius' shoulders. Scorpius' scowl merely deepened as he looked at the point over his shoulder in his reflection.

"Now, go do us both a favor and bring the tally up to three non-virgins will you?"

"Oh, _piss off_!"

* * *

><p>"So what else do you want to do?"<p>

"Well, I was kind of hoping to stop in Honeyduke's." Elisa smiled wishfully at Scorpius, who just nodded and began walking in the direction of the sweets shop.

The date had started off almost awkwardly, with Scorpius showing up three minutes later than they had agreed on because he and Noah had gotten into a small scuffle in their room. The end result was extra mussed up hair and a slightly wrinkled left sleeve, but overall he was presentable. Elisa had admitted that she thought he was standing her up, to which he had promptly apologized no less than seventeen times and assured her another twenty that he had no intention of doing anything like that. The walk to Hogsmeade was nearly uncomfortable, as they couldn't find a topic to settle on for more than a few minutes.

When they reached the Three Broomsticks, however, Elisa had changed the subject to her younger sister and soon the two were in total agreement about the burdens of being an older sibling. Over the course of a shared appetizer and three butterbeers apiece, they fell into an easy pattern of discussion, laughter, and thinly veiled attempts at flirting.

Now they were walking side by side towards Honeyduke's, a handful of shopping bags clutched in Scorpius' right hand. They had journeyed through Dervish and Banges, Spintwitches Quidditch Shop, and Wiseacre's Wizarding store. It appeared their last stop would be Honeyduke's.

"My sister loves the Sugar Quills." Elisa gushed as she stepped under Scorpius' arm and into the store. "I'm more a fan of the Acid Pops."

"Acid Pops?" Scorpius shook his head, laughing. "I like the Toothflossing Stringmints myself."

"Well that explains the teeth then." Elisa smiled at him as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear, browsing through the selection of candies slowly. "We used to wonder how you got them to be so white up in the tower."

"Been discussing me by firelight, have you?" He teased lightly. She laughed, covering her mouth with one hand to keep the volume down.

"While we painted our toenails and had pillow fights, absolutely." Elisa winked for good measure and it was Scorpius' turn to stifle his laughter. "Say, isn't your birthday soon?"

"Yes." He nodded and picked up a pack of Edible Dark Marks, frowning as he studied the candy. "Eleventh of December." He put the box of sweets back on the shelf. Elisa stopped her perusal of the aisle, studying Scorpius for a moment.

"You don't seem all too excited about coming of age. Seventeen is a big year."

"I suppose so." He deliberately kept his eyes trained on their surroundings instead of her, trying to keep his composure. The only people he had really talked to about the new identity he would assume on his birthday were Albus, Noah, and Roshni. Elisa bit her lip, holding onto a bag of Sugar Quills, and stepped up until their arms were brushing. She reached out and grabbed a pack of Toothflossing Stringmints, smiling up at her date.

"We'll consider this an early birthday present then, just to cheer you up a bit." Holding both items in her left hand, she reached down with her right and grabbed Scorpius' hand, squeezing gently. He forced a grin at her and fell in behind her as she walked to the counter to be rung up.

When they left the shop they fell into step together, their pace leisurely and unrushed. Scorpius held out his hand, intent to offer to carry the latest purchases. Elisa beamed at him and fit her hand into his, curling her fingers around his palm and giving their arms a light swing. He looked down at their joined hands and then back up at her face, blinking in shock. She gave his hand a tiny squeeze and suggested another venture into the Three Broomsticks for more drinks. Scorpius just nodded to accept and looked down at their hands again before allowing himself a genuine smile.

* * *

><p>"So?"<p>

"What?"

"How'd it go?"

"How'd what go?"

"Don't be obtuse!" A ball of wadded parchment hit Scorpius in the side of the head. Roshni giggled from her perch on the armrest of the couch, Albus' hand resting on her thigh. Noah glared at Scorpius, his right hand balling more parchment in case the blond tried to dodge any more questions.

"Your date, Scor." Roshni prodded gently, covering the back of Albus' hand with her own. Scorpius shrugged but couldn't fight the blush building on his face. Roshni let out an uncharacteristically girly squeal and flapped her hands at him. Albus and Noah shared a confused look.

"What, what's that mean?" Albus finally asked his girlfriend, who clucked her tongue and continued to make doe eyes at Scorpius.

"Did he get laid?"

"No, but she let you kiss her, didn't she?" Roshni squealed again when Scorpius' blush deepened. He sank down lower into his armchair, trying to disappear entirely as Albus and Noah began throwing out what they thought was helpful advice.

"It was more like I let her kiss me, to be completely honest." Scorpius finally conceded. Roshni made a questioning curious sound, her head cocking to one side. Albus groaned, his head falling back onto the cushions as Noah buried his face in his palms. "What?"

"You're so hopeless!" Noah complained, rubbing his face with his fingers. "You don't let her kiss you! She lets you kiss her! Bloody hell, _how_ are we even friends?"

Roshni immediately jumped to Scorpius' defense while Albus shook his head from side to side. Noah looked properly reprimanded as Roshni carried on about his outdated notions regarding dating. No one was none the wiser about the smug smirk crawling onto Scorpius' face as he sat up a little in his chair.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Well, let me know what you think, please! (I think my new favorite character to write in this story is Noah. Dunno why.)


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